"Finale"

“Finale”

Written by Stephanie Garber

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

  

This book is the final in a series of three, written by Stephanie Garber. “Caraval” is the first, “Legendary” is the second”, and “Finale” is the conclusion. Centering around two sisters, a magical kingdom, quest-based competitions, mythology, and romance, this series has a large following and a gigantic level of buzz around it. I have to agree; I think this series is very well-written and brilliant. I think the world inside the story is very interesting, the characters are well-written, and the plot is very intriguing. Although the plots of all three are a bit different, themes of family, friendship, and sacrifice prevail through the series. I believe that “Caraval” is a fantastic book, but the last two books let me down a bit. I enjoyed reading through the main character, Scarlett’s perspective, but the other protagonist, Tella, was too wild and impulsive for my liking. Scarlett is more based on strength and love for her sister, but Tella takes more chances and puts herself in dangerous situations for love. Sacrifice is one of the main themes of the series, and it was pretty impressive in the full execution.

In the third novel, we catch Tella and Scarlett as they join forces with their romantic interests (who still are highly suspicious), enemies, and friends to battle higher, more evil forces: The Fates. Although Legend is one, he proves himself to overall be a fantastic anti-hero, as well as mysterious and slightly irritating Jacks.

Due to this being the final book in the series, there are just some things that I wish had been a little different. I really enjoyed the world in this story, but it didn’t feel like it was enough. There are really interesting magical elements, like items, tricks, and actions that have a magical motivation. I would have loved to see just a little more magic. I also would have loved to see more of the characters Jovan, Armando, Caspar, and Aiko. I felt that the books would have been more interesting if we saw more of them. Additionally, I felt the romance to be a bit lackluster in the entire series. The boys are cute but too shady for me to give my whole heart to. Also, there’s far too many love triangles. Also, I wouldn’t have minded a little more murder...

On the opposite side, I loved the inclusion of these specific Fates: The Fallen Star, The Murdered King, and the Undead Queen and her handmaids.

I felt this was a very worthy conclusion that kept my interest until the end. I also feel like the ending could possibly set up a spin-off series, which I would consider reading. Although the first book was easily my favorite in the series, I highly recommend this book to any lover of fantasy. In addition, although this is young adult aged, I still feel like this can be enjoyed by older audiences, like my 23-year-old self. I also have to mention that I enjoyed listening to this book as an audiobook. I listened to about 20% percent of the book in audio format and read about 80% in paper format, but the audiobook portions were very enjoyable, and I enjoyed the narrator.

"Life of the Party"

“Life of The Party”

Written by Olivia Gatwood

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

I’ve found it. A fantastic book of poetry that hit every expectation, that I found relatable, and that I found to be interesting and especially thought-provoking. Olivia Gatwood’s poetry is very feministic, showing the darker sides of being a woman and / or a female in today’s world. This poetry felt very realistic and absolutely challenged many of my conservative opinions. I also felt that Gatwood has a way of explaining something poetically, without stripping away the darker side of the content. Often, I read modern poetry that makes light of more serious topics by making the words sound lyrical and pretty. For example, Rupi Kaur is a very popular, feministic, modern poet who uses personification, allusions, similes, and metaphors to explain the harsher sides of abuse, mental disorder, and sex. In addition, Amanda Lovelace’s poetry is similar. Contrastingly, Gatwood uses realistic language and does not use literary devices often. Her harsh, honest poetry is refreshing and absolutely horrifying.

Additionally, Gatwood offers a very insightful foreword. She discusses how she has experienced and known of experiences that have occurred by men to women she knew. She speaks of violence with wisdom and solemnity. I find that poetry feels more meaningful, when drawn from experience. Olivia Gatwood’s poetry speaks about many important topics, such as, abuse, rape, sex, and murder. How men and women treat women. She discusses how it can be to grow up from childhood into adolescence and how that can change how men act. Her poems sometimes are inspired by true crimes, especially ones involving serial killers and murders, but they do not feel exploitative of the crimes and victims. They feel apologetic and sympathetic, rather than manipulative.

My favorite poems from her collection are:

“Girl”

“First Grade, 1998”

“The Sandias, 2008”

“Staying Small”

“When I Say That We Are All Teen Girls”

“Mans/laughter”

“The Lover as a Tapeworm”

“Sound Bites as We Ponder Death”

“She Lit Up Every Room She Walked Into”

“Ode to the Unpaid Electricity Bill”

In conclusion, I have absolutely found a new favorite modern poet. I always find myself struggling to enjoy the whole extent of a modern poetry collection, but I absolutely loved this one. I plan to read as much of Olivia Gatwood’s poetry as possible.

I received an advance review edition of this book through Netgalley in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes. Additionally, thank you to Dial Press.

"The Woman in the Window"

“The Woman in the Window”

Written by A.J. Finn

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

Sadly, “The Woman in the Window” absolutely did not live up to my expectations. The premise of this psychological thriller is that an agoraphobic woman, named Anna Fox, starts to notice suspicious behavior in her new neighbor’s home.

We are introduced to Anna, who shows us that she has had stalking patterns before. She has been watching many of her neighbors, even taking photographs of them. Anna has a strange past, leading us to suspect that her husband and daughter are hallucinations, right from the get go. Anna talks to herself, drinks too much, and will not leave her house.

Anna befriends Jane, the wife in the family who lives across the street. She also befriends her son, who likes to stop by and bring snacks. One night, Anna sees Jane outside, bleeding, with a large metal object in her chest? Anna runs outside and is taken to the hospital, after she suffers a major panic attack. At the hospital, she is told that Jane is fine, and she was never injured. Her husband brings himself and Jane into the room. This woman is unfamiliar and not the Jane that she expected. Anna begins to suspect everyone, but there is one person she does not...

One of my main problems with this book is the lack of interesting characters. Anna is an unreliable narrator. She is constantly complaining, acting strangely, and making weird decisions, like sleeping with her creepy tenant. She does not seem to really understand that she is her main problem. In addition, it felt very tedious to read all of the messages she sends to strangers in an agoraphobia chat room. It did not feel necessary; we did not receive any new information.

 Finn tries to pad his characters with snippets and familiar details. We notice that he clearly wants this book to be reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”. I am a massive Jimmy Stewart fan and a massive Alfred Hitchcock fan. However, references to this movie and most of his movies are on every single page. It feels a little too informative. This book feels a little too detailed in many circumstances.

I think, for the most part, I could enjoy this author, if he wrote a book with a different type of premise. His dialogue is still intriguing enough, the plot eventually built enough suspense, and I felt it was a worthwhile read. However, I know there is a massive scandal around the author, due to his deception about his healthcare, sources, and job experience. We’ll see if he’s been black-balled enough to never write another book. I rated this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

"Legendary"

“Legendary”

Written by Stephanie Garber

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

Just as a quick forewarning, I highly suggest you do not read this review until you have read the first book in the series, “Caraval”. This will contain no spoilers for “Legendary” but will possibly spoil some aspects of “Caraval”, since this is a continuation in the series.

“Legendary” is the second book in a trilogy that follows two sisters in a magical world, as they experience magical competition, deception, and romance. Scarlett Dragna is mainly written about in the first book, as she tries to rescue her sister, Donatella, nicknamed Tella, who is caught up as a prize in a magical contest. Tella is profiled in the second book, as she tries to compete again, to find their mother. Scarlett stays in the background for much of “Legendary”, which was disappointing to me, but it also felt necessary, since she is not the only main character. Tella has a romance with Dante. Scarlett has a romance with Julian. Julian and Dante are brothers, and we know that one must be Legend, a crazy and impulsive villain. However, both of them seem very romantic and normal, but they are very deceptive.

In “Legendary”, we are also introduced to a new villain, Jacks, who has his own motivations for helping Tella. He is cool, calm, collected and always eating a different colored apple. He’s interesting and intriguing.

Unfortunately, I found this book to be less interesting as the first. The first set up all of the interesting aspects of the world and all of the characters, and the second continues the story. However, it lacked a bit for me, when the second story should be very bountiful. We are introduced to problems that will be either solved or ruin the characters, but those problems will be addressed in the third book, as with all trilogies. I felt we did not experience as much fun or intrigue with the Caraval competition. I found some interesting aspects of magic that were introduced, such as the Fates, hidden weaponry in clothing attire, and unlucky coins. Every character is still deceptive and still scheming, but I do appreciate that not every character is sinless. I am excited to see where the rest of the story goes, and if I will enjoy “Finale”.

Although I felt “Legendary” to be less satisfying, I still highly recommend this book series to anyone interested in magic and fantasy. There are elements that remind me of “The Hunger Games”, “Harry Potter”, “Enchantee”, and especially “Pirates of the Caribbean”. I will continue to read this author’s books, as long as she’s writing them.

"Forever, Interrupted"

“Forever, Interrupted”

Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“Forever, Interrupted” is the fourth book that I’ve read by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This heartwarming and heartbreaking book cements the pattern that I have come to expect from this author. This book also cemented Reid as a new favorite author of mine. This novel follows our main character, Elsie, who eloped in a fit of love and affection with her boyfriend, Ben. We learn that their relationship was a bit of a quick whirlwind. One night, Elsie asks Ben to run to the closest convenience store to pick up some Fruity Pebbles. He is hit by a car, while on his motorcycle, and dies instantly. Elsie now must mourn and heal, while hardly knowing anything about Ben. She now also must meet his mother, who is tough as a whip.

This wasn’t the most thought-provoking or emotional books that I’ve read by Reid, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have enjoyed listening to her books in an audio format, which creates a nice, easy listening experience. The book was entertaining, funny, and sad. It was interesting to see Reid flash from the building of their relationship to after his death, told in two separate time lines. I felt that Elsie is a very sympathetic character and very relatable. Ben is the kind of character you’d fall for. Susan, his mother, is the kind of person you’d expect from a bitter mother-in-law. However, I loved seeing the relationship between Elsie and Susan develop. In addition, Reid always has wonderful smaller characters, like Elsie’s best friend, Anna.

I highly recommend this book. It wasn’t a very complex story, nor did it have a thrilling plot. Fortunately, this was just the type of book I needed at the right time. This is one of those books that you can read casually or intently. I could recommend this as a beach read or a book you’d take to a coffeeshop. I cannot wait to continue reading her books.

"Caraval"

“Caraval”

Written by Stephanie Garber

Review written by Diana Iozzia

After choosing to read one of the most highly anticipated young adult fantasy books, I was very eager but also very nervous. As far as romance and magic competitions in fiction go, I was not planning to find a new favorite, after the major letdown of “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. However, “Caraval” mystified me, enchanted me, and threw me onto a crazy adventure that was a lot of fun, very exciting, and so utterly confusing. Every single turn in the story led us so far from what we were expecting. Trust cannot exist in this magical world. Let’s begin.

It was instantly interesting to see the world-building. We learn about different islands, empires, past ruling, the ways the years, seasons, and dates are told, and more. I find it fascinating to learn of the government organization, currency, and more.

Our main character and protagonist, Scarlett, has dreamed, since childhood, to see and join the Caraval competition. She has written letters to the master of the ceremonies, the creator, the villain, Legend. This year, he has finally allowed her and her fiancé to come. Instead, Scarlett subverts our first expectation and takes her sister, (Dona)Tella, with the assistance of a cute, smarmy sailor. After arriving and being separated from Tella, Julian and Scarlett begin competing, realizing that Tella is the key to the puzzles and clues and is sought after by all of the competitors.

To continue, the actual competition was so entertaining to watch! We felt like spectators ourselves, as Scarlett and Julian become entangled in this crazy adventure. They must encounter so many interesting types of magic, including enchanted dresses, clarity drinking cider, moving bridges, fallen stars, wish seeds, future-seeing eyeglasses, exchanging blood for two days of death, and more.

We are introduced to a large cast of characters in this spectacular fever dream. We meet: Tella and Scarlett’s awful father, Dante, Valentina, Jovan, Aiko, and a few other characters I won’t spoil.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of our villain, Legend, is the build-up to him. We are learning all of these horrible decisions and tricks and magic he plays, and we’re just waiting desperately to catch a glimpse of him.

I think this book shocked me, surprised me, and enchanted me. There are countless twists and turns, so many that I felt I had no idea where it was going. I also felt that the story ended very interestingly, causing me to run to the library to borrow “Legendary”. Let the games begin.

I recommend this for teens, young adults, and adults. This book incorporates many teen characters, but I felt they were written splendidly. Often, I find in fantasy novels, I do not enjoy the teen characters. However, they are realistic, interesting, manipulative, and perfectly crafted. I absolutely loved this book, and I know this will be a new favorite series. In addition, if you’re looking for a book that has really fantastic female characters who are strong and stand up for what they believe in, Scarlett and Tella are your girls. Jovan’s pretty cool too. I hope you give this book a chance. I really don’t know why it took me this long. Oh, also, I read it all in one night! I simply could not stop turning the pages.

"The Furies"

“The Furies”

Written by Katie Lowe

Review written by Diana Iozzia

In a startling debut, Katie Lowe excels at creating horror for the teenager generation, in a way that feels nostalgic and yet refreshing. “The Furies” follows a nervous, hurt, and gullible teen named Violet, who enrolls at a mysterious high school. The grounds have a dark history, some believing that witches were once burned at the wych elm. Violet falls into the wrong crowd, who influence her into doing drugs, drinking, partying, and occult magic. You know, the usual high school experience.

Violet becomes the closest with firecracker Robin, a girl who just does not understand when to stop. Alex and Grace are the other two girls in their ‘study group’. The ‘group’ meets nightly with their art professor, Annabel, who helps the girls study occult magic. Underlining these plot elements, we also have the mystery of Emily Frost, a missing girl who was once very good friends with Robin, Alex, and Grace. Violet fears that she might be the next Emily, but the hands of fate that be trap her in this friendship, and she’s not really sure if she wants to leave.

I do warn those younger readers that perhaps although this is about young teens, that this might be best for students 17-18 and up. There is a brutal rape scene, very grotesque animal killings, and other very hideous murders. One especially had me creeped out for far too long. It’s very disturbing.

One of the interesting elements of this story is the dynamics of the friendship group. I feel that as teens do, we all once became influenced by others. For some more than others, peer pressure can be severely harmful. Violet is terrified of what her friends and she are doing, but she does not want to be alone. We can all relate to Violet and wonder how far we would have gone at that age.

This book reminds me of many movies and books I enjoy, including: “Jennifer’s Body”, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”, “Carrie”, “My Best Friend’s Exorcism”, “Scream”, “The Craft”, and “The Vampire Diaries”. There’s also a little bit of an influence from the Witch Trials / Salem episode of “Scooby Doo”, if you believe it. I find that it can be difficult for me to really love a book about teens. Sometimes, they feel unrealistic or exaggerated in their dialogue or plot choices. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I do truly enjoy teen horror. Unfortunately, the story wrapped up very strangely in my opinion, and that let me down a bit. I would still give this book a four out of five stars as its rating, and I do plan to re-read it at some point, to see if after understanding the ending, if I would enjoy it more.

I received an advance reader’s edition from St. Martin’s Press. Thank you again.

"The Au Pair"

“The Au Pair”

Written by Emma Rous

Review written by Diana Iozzia

 

“The Au Pair” is a mystery novel that is told in two perspectives: Seraphine, a woman who unravels her past and family secrets, and Laura, the au pair who took care of her older brother, up until the suicide of Ruth, Seraphine and her twin brother, Danny’s mother, on the night they were born. Already, this book sounds confusing beyond belief, and I personally was intrigued. I listened to this using the Overdrive / Libby app, which is a great way to borrow audiobooks and e-books. I think that one of the main downfalls of this book is the plot.

First and foremost, Laura’s perspective explains the past and what led Ruth to her suicide. Seraphine is unraveling these facts, slowly, as the tale progresses. Unfortunately, other than this, there is no true conflict. I think that a mystery novel still should have some elements of a plot. I have grown a bit too disinterested in mystery novels that only concern with a death and those left alive to figure out why. The characters are not currently in danger. A dead bird on the porch and a lipstick message on the bathroom mirror do not frighten me or feel like compelling threats.

I felt highly disappointed once all of the facts and details were revealed. Although I did not predict every solution to the mystery, I felt that I wasn’t excited or curious enough to be on the edge of my seat. In the end, the mystery still felt unsolved a bit. I don’t really understand why Ruth did choose to kill herself.

Perhaps one of the added layers of my confusion about the book was that I listened to an audio version. It felt like the story dragged on too long, because the audio version was about 12 hours. I would have read this book in a three-hour sitting or two short sittings.

I enjoyed Laura’s perspective more than Seraphine’s, because that one was interesting. I felt Seraphine constantly droned on about how she didn’t know who she was and what was happening. She must have asked “Who am I?” at least 8 times. I understand that it could be difficult to be in her position, but it did not add an interesting element to the story. Laura’s time with the family and the mysterious secrets she involved herself was interesting, and it revealed the plot in an intriguing way. However, when all of the plot twists and surprises are revealed in one long story, it feels anticlimactic. I’m not the biggest fan of characters just rambling on for pages on end.

I recommend that if you read this, do not listen to the audiobook if you want a quick, fast, easy read. The audiobook has great actresses performing the parts in very different accents and voices, but I’m not sure it’s worth the effort. This wasn’t the best mystery I’ve ever read, but I would consider reading a future book by Emma Rous.

"Vox"

“Vox”
Written by Christina Dalcher
Review written by Diana Iozzia



Unfortunately, I felt that “Vox” didn’t live up to my expectations, perhaps due to its execution of its premise. “Vox” is a dystopian, science fiction novel that is set in a world where women cannot speak more than 100 words in a day. If they do, they are shocked by a band, or “bracelet”, connected to their wrists. Our main character is Jean, a woman who has three sons and a daughter. In this society, women have been stripped of their voice and their opinions. They may work, in only approved of positions. As a result of women revolting, they are starting to lose their abilities. Gay couples are separated and their children are being sent to male relatives. Their Republican president has implemented cameras everywhere. Due to the lack of language, women are still not allowed to speak in sign language, read, receive male, speak on the telephone, use computers, and more.

The action of the plot begins when Jean is approached by a previous employer to help create a cure to an illness called aphaxia, suffered by no other than the president’s brother. In return for helping, Jean will be paid a great sum and also be able to take off her monitor and her daughter’s. We are thrown into this animal testing lab, and Jean begins to work. She has also been having an affair with a coworker while she works.

Personally, I did not enjoy the plot of the medicinal testing and dealing with the annoying government workers. However, I did enjoy as Jean becomes more involved with the rebellion, after connecting with the mailman and his family, who are against the “Pure” government. I felt that if the book related more to the rebellion, than use the science lab testing plot, I would have enjoyed it more. The characters don’t seem to do enough to rebel, and the solutions to their problems seem to be too easy.

I felt very unsatisfied with the ending. I felt that there should have been much more in this book than there was. I feel as I speak to others who have read the book, that we all believe this. It was okay, but it could have been more appealing. I also wish that the characters were more likeable and interesting.

I recommend this book for those who are just beginning the “evil government that hates women” dystopian sub-genre. However, I would prefer to recommend “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “The Power”, “The Stepford Wives”, “Never Let Me Go”, and “Station Eleven” (which doesn’t have a government that hates women, but it really shows the power and strength of women).

I was sent a review copy from Putnam Publicity to read and review.

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things”

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things”

Written by Iain Reid

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” was a mystery, thriller, and horror combined, in such a rich and immersive read. This book was completely different than what I thought it could be, especially because the premise is often a bit misleading. To be honest, I’m not really sure I understand the ending of this book. When I speak to friends and read reviews, we’ve all interpreted this a little differently.

This book begins with our twisted and unreliable narrator who announces that she’s thinking of ending things, meaning breaking up with her boyfriend, Jake. We understand that Jake is enigmatic and supremely interesting to her. She finds him intelligent and charming in many different ways. As we see them on a road trip to meet his parents, we learn more about the both of them and become increasingly concerned for the lives of the characters and their sanities.

Until the ending, I found this to be an incredible book. I found myself petrified during certain scenes. I found myself confused beyond any belief, but I enjoyed this. This book felt really bizarre and disconcerting, as the narrator makes strange announcements and lets us in on secrets. For example, we have strange red herrings and references that you need to look into. Don’t ignore small signs and assume everyone is safe. This book really reminded me of the movie, “Get Out”, which also shows that you shouldn’t assume someone is trustworthy. Every little word they say could have a second meaning.

There are some strange moments and aspects of this story that I did not enjoy. Like I said, the ending boggles me. It’s not clear enough to make me feel like I was satisfied. I don’t always need a perfectly wrapped up ending, but I’d like at least a road sign telling me where it could have gone. In addition, throughout the story, we have small lines of dialogue about the characters and plot, but they don’t connect fully to the ending, so they seem a bit useless.

Realistically, there isn’t much more I can tell you about this story without spoiling it. I enjoyed the plot, felt completely terrified during certain moments, and enjoyed the characterization Jake and the narrator. They’re interesting, and we find ourselves compelled to continue reading. This book is highly unsettling and I fully recommend it. But, I plan to re-read it first, ha!

"Maybe in Another Life"

“Maybe in Another Life”

Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“Maybe in Another Life” is a very sweet and interesting contemporary romance, that follows Hannah Martin in two separate parallel storylines, that are a result of a decision she makes on a night out. Hannah can either choose to go home with her high school boyfriend, who she has met again after living in many different cities after college. She can also choose to go home with her friends, Gabby and her husband, Mark. We see Hannah choose both, and we see how each storyline plays out, based upon the decision.

In one storyline, Hannah chooses to home with Ethan. She finds herself to be pregnant and chooses to raise the child, but she nearly loses Ethan, since Ethan is not the father of the child.

In the second storyline, Hannah is almost killed by a hit and run driver. She is in the hospital and loses the baby. She recovers slowly and develops a crush on her night nurse, Henry. Boy, did I develop a crush alongside with her.

This book has a great amount of heartbreak, love, anger, sadness, and friendship. At the end of each storyline, we see who Hannah’s true friends and true loves are, even if it takes her a little while to realize these things. In Taylor Jenkins Reid’s usual style, she charms us with wonderfully written characters, who show so much depth and character development as they continue through the story. Her books are fun to read, and I thoroughly enjoy reading them. This was no exception.

Some things that I didn’t enjoy were: most of the Hannah + Ethan storyline. I found this to be lacking, in comparison to the other. I did, however, love the presence of Gabby in both. I had wished her friendship with Hannah was more developed in this storyline, though. In addition, we learn so much more about Hannah’s family in the Hannah + Henry storyline. To be frank, I think I would have enjoyed the book just as much, even if it was only H + H-centered. I loved this book. I am also currently listening to “Forever, Interrupted” by the same author on audiobook. I highly recommend this author and her wonderful books.

“The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One”

“The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One”

Written by Amanda Lovelace

Review written by Diana Iozzia

After reading the first two poetry collections in this series, I wanted to continue to read the third one. Amanda Lovelace is a strongly-opinionated, feministic personality, whose beliefs and actions are clearly reflected in her female-empowering poetry. I enjoyed both of her first two books, but I did not love them. Some of the poems were a little too much for me, in a political way or a preaching way. I am not the type of person who needs to be empowered as a woman, but I can still appreciate it.

In each of her poetry collections, along with the theme of feminism, there is a specific type of magical theme. Her first was related to princesses and royalty. Her second was related to witches. This third one is related to mermaids and other magical creatures. All of her poetry collections are very raw, honest, and at times, uncomfortable to read. Her books have many trigger warnings at the beginning before the introduction. Please keep that in mind if you are someone who feels upset or hurt by sensitive material.

Here are the poems I enjoyed:

“Ariel”

“No One Noticed & She Liked it That Way”

“It Was Always the Girl Through the Looking Glass”

“Wild”

“Now I Know You Can’t Fix Someone Else”

“What Wouldn’t I Do for You?”

“Titanic”

“This Cannot Go On”

“Flight” *

“Kill the Conductor” *

“Mother Knows Best II”

“The Good Kind of Drowning”

“I Don’t Mind Standing If I’m Standing Next to You” *

“The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One”

“The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One”

Written by Amanda Lovelace

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One” is a poetry collection that relies on stories and the history of women who were targeted, for the sake of being women. For example, a quote from the introduction: “This is not a fairy with tale. There are no witches. There is no witch hunt... this is simply a story where women fight against the man-made structure that has long overstayed its welcome”.

This feministic theme is prevalent throughout the collection, as with most of Lovelace’s poetry. After liking this writer’s first book, I was interested to read her next in her “Women Are Some Kind of Magic” poetry collection series. Personally, I don’t mind the occasional feministic read. My concerns with her first book was that the poetry didn’t seem very original. Including metaphors, allusions, and references in her poetry felt like she was sort of piggybacking and incorporating ideas of others in her stories. I know that literature has a history of being retold, but I prefer my retellings to be a bit unique. That being said, here are my thoughts on this collection.

So, to start with, the book actually begins with a list of trigger warnings. Instantly, this made me a bit worrisome for the collection. I have never been the kind of person to be triggered by sensitive material; I just personally do not enjoy reading deeply disturbing material. I do think that if you enjoy sensitive, raw poetry, this collection may be for you. The collection is separated into sections, which seems to be a trend within modern writers. The categories are: The Trial, The Burning, The Firestorm, and The Ashes. I have to say; I did enjoy this collection. It will not become a new favorite, but I do plan to continue to read Lovelace’s other collections and future poetry.

The poems I enjoyed from this collection are:

“The Best Kept Secret”

“Some Destruction is Beautiful”

“Yet I Never Seem to Care Who Gets Hurt”

“The Hollow-Girl”

“Their Darling, Dancing Dolls”

“This is What Womanhood Tastes Like”

“Lilith”

“Unlearn This Normalized Self-Hatred”

“From the Grimoire of the Green Witch”

“We Need You Here & Whole”

“Your Winter Will Come to an End” *

“Reclaim Yourself”

“Resistance is Fine Art”

“We Can’t Lose Our Empathy”

“We Must Be Better Than Them” *

“Reconstruction” *

"The Saturday Night Ghost Club"

“The Saturday Night Ghost Club”

Written by Craig Davidson

Review by Diana Iozzia

For a coming of age story meets 80s nostalgia, with sprinkled in ghost stories and supernatural elements, this book just really did nothing for me. I had high hopes for this, after recently falling in love with many of Stephen King’s books about children, Stranger Things, and My Best Friend’s Exorcism. In hopes that this book would be similar to those, my expectation level was quite high. Sadly, I felt this book to be extremely disappointing.

A true lack of plot and lack of interesting characters completely ruined this book for me. The main character is Jake, who hunts for ghosts with his wacky uncle Calvin, Calvin’s friend, Lex, and Jake’s two friends, Dove and Billy. Jake speaks as an adolescent as he is in the Saturday Night Ghost Club and then looks back on his childhood as an adult. I felt that the older perspective added an element of wisdom that just was not necessary. This book was very long in certain parts, but it wasn’t long enough to provide a fleshed-out story. The characters were appealing enough, but I felt we didn’t get to know them long enough to worry and wonder about them.

They go on a bunch of adventures, led by Uncle Calvin, who starts to act more suspiciously throughout the story. However, this isn’t exactly suspenseful. In the end, we are given an explanation for all of the local legends and ghosts that the club investigates. I felt that if the book was longer and provided more heart and detail, I would have felt more for the characters and enjoyed the story more. The reveal is an interesting surprise and was totally unexpected for this story, but I have heard too many stories in the past 10 years that follow this type of plot twist.

An element that I did really enjoy was the brother relationship between Jake’s father and Calvin. There’s so much kindness, love, and support there. Also, Jake’s dad is just awesome at taking down bullies.

I recommend this book for those who are into these types of stories. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

I received a complimentary advanced reader’s edition in exchanging for reading and reviewing purposes. Thank you to Penguin Books.

"The Princess Saves Herself in This One"

“The Princess Saves Herself in This One”

Written by Amanda Lovelace

Review written by Diana Iozzia

This poetry collection serves its purpose of allowing poetry to speak about serious topics, while disguising them behind metaphors and allusions. The poetry collection’s overarching theme centers around folklore and fairy tales. In using these types of imagery, Lovelace feels comfortable and artistic in speaking about depression, suicide, death, eating disorders, abuse, rape, and more. This book felt very disingenuous throughout certain poems, making the poetry feel as if the Lovelace wanted to evoke certain emotions but was unable to do so. Her poems sound very childlike in sweetness and fun examples, but then turn dark and uncomfortable. I personally call this “sweet and sour” poetry.

I understand that poetry can be very subjective. It’s great that Amanda Lovelace has created from her heart and poured out her emotions. However, I think most of them seem like she was trying to hard to be edgy and too hard to be interesting. Her women empowerment poems feel to me like they’re just written for the sake of appeasing others. They don’t feel natural.

Her poetry is very modern, with its style, page layout, and titles. The poems have creative names but they feel a little over the top. For example, “It Was Like Coming Home After a Long, Long Day”, “I Am Not Strong Enough for Anything”, and “I May Not Believe in Fate, But I Believe in You”. I enjoyed a good half of these poems, but the ones I did enjoy were good. I did not fall in love with Amanda Lovelace’s poems. I would like to continue reading her other poetry collections to see if I enjoy her further progress and development as a writer.

My favorites from this collection are:

“Skin & Bone”

“I’ll See You in California”

“Young Love”

“You Left, But You Stayed”

“My Most Loyal Lover”

“My Steel Thorns”

“The Only One Who Will Never Leave”

“Forever a Collector of Words II”

“You Never Even Got Picked”

“You Are My Home”

"The Whisper Man"

“The Whisper Man”

Written by Alex North

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“The Whisper Man” is a frightening and memorable thriller, about a man who will do anything for his son. Our main protagonist, Tom Kennedy, moves into a new home with his seven-year-old son, Jake, after Tom’s wife dies suddenly. A young boy named Neil has been murdered, and the police believe that the killer may be an accomplice of “The Whisper Man”, a serial killed named Frank Carter. Frank would lure boys out of their homes and kill them. This premise gave me pause, but also it intrigued me. I hadn’t read a book like this in a little while. Also, the publicity buzz drew me in, as well as the super creepy card I received in my PR envelope. Little British girls singing about creepy killers? Oof. Even so, I read this book in one whole night. I could not and would not stop reading, even though it was terribly past my bedtime.

Now, we read through different perspectives, as we increasingly fear for the lives of those involved. In addition to Tom, we read a third person omniscient narrator, over Pete, the lead detective and someone all too close to Tom, Jake, and the new copycat killer. Pete visits the local jail, to consult with the imprisoned Frank, to see if he has any clues about the new killer and to see if he can determine if Frank has been hiding an accomplice all this time.

Little Jake is an interesting character. He’s very smart, almost to the point of precociousness. He loves to draw, often drawing images that Tom does not understand. I think Jake is represented so well. Often, I do not find children to be accurately portrayed. Jake’s mannerisms, dialogue, and personality traits felt very real, especially his Packet of Special Things. Jake also speaks to a little girl, his imaginary friend. We learn more about the family, the detectives, and the killer. The game shifts, when the new killer begins to whisper at Jake’s window and try to get inside at the front door.

At first, I felt this story to be a bit hokey. I felt Tom to be a bit over-the-top in his actions. Every move he made felt far too exaggerated to be realistic. However, I soon realized why he was so concerned with being a fantastic father to his son. To continue, I was very skeptical of the “detective visits imprisoned killer for advice” trope. As most literature and film lovers do, I will always think of “The Silence of the Lambs” by Thomas Harris. I feel that many films can use this trope well, like “Shutter Island”, but often, the trope falls flat. Fortunately, I was impressed by the execution of these scenes. In addition, two other tropes that I was happy with were the “child of main character in a creepy town is in danger” and the depressed, alcoholic detective.

 I think that my favorite element of this story is the father and son dynamic. We see many of these dynamics: three to be exact. These relationships are not simple; they are complex and important. I think having such a strong backbone to this story allowed the plot to truly develop in a full and rounded out way. Every motivation made sense. Every motivation was supported by these dynamics. I’ve always felt that a story, that needs to evoke certain emotions, has to have that true foundation for us to draw upon. We need to build both empathy and hatred, but we need to first care about those in danger.

There are some elements that I truly loved that I just can’t reveal enough information about, because they would reveal far too much about the story. This is one of those books that have many twists and red herrings, but I felt they were implemented flawlessly. I loved trying to determine the motivations of the killer and how they made sense for the story. Awesome. The actual reveal of the killer was a bit strange to me, but I understood the choice after I spent a lot of time thinking all about it. Lastly, I was not a big fan of the development that occurred for the imaginary friend character. That’s just a preference. Oh, and I won’t say anything more about Mister Night, but “wow”.

In conclusion, this is absolutely a new favorite thriller for me. It impressed me in so many more ways than I had expected. This book brought a lot of heart, happiness, sadness, fear, and love into a book that I didn’t anticipate. The book had wonderful narrative techniques, including realistic dialogue, vivid imagery, and incredible suspense. There were many moments when I felt terrified, in my well-lit room, at 6 p.m., with a large Lab / Pitbull mix laying next to my feet. I will be recommending this amazing book for the rest of my life. Please consider reading it. I realistically do not think that there is anything you could be disappointed by. I wasn’t.

I received an advance reader's edition from the publisher. Thank you to Celadon Books.

"The Sun and Her Flowers"

“The Sun and Her Flowers”

Written by Rupi Kaur

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“The Sun and Her Flowers” is the sophomore poetry collection written by ultra-famous, bestselling modern poet, Rupi Kaur. A few days prior to reading her second book, I read her first, enjoying it. It was not my favorite poetry that I had ever read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the blend of heartbreak and love in that collection. There were many types of love and how it could go wrong. I felt that she had a very acute but accurate view of the world. With her second collection, I enjoyed it less.

I believe that I enjoyed “The Sun and Her Flowers” less, because the poetry was about more than the first. Her second involved themes of women empowerment and politics, which unfortunately is not a type of poetry that I enjoy reading about. I don’t mind reading serious poetry. Most of her poetry in “Milk and Honey” was very serious. However, I just don’t like reading poetry about much more depressing topics. I felt the first had a good sampling of both, but this book felt more saddening. This led to my disinterest and disappointment with this collection. I do understand that some readers may enjoy the book more because of the newer focuses, and I understand that poetry is very subjective.

I read this in an e-book form, so the pages were very jumbled and it was hard to determine which poem was on each page. Many of Kaur’s poems do not have titles, so I can’t list the untitled ones that I enjoyed, because I’m not sure if the page number is correct. In light of that, I am sharing with you the titled poems that I enjoyed. Kaur’s poetry collections are separated into sections. The sections in this collection are: “Wilting”, “Falling”, “Rooting”, “Rising”, “Blooming”. The poems with an asterisk next to it are favorites.

“The Construction Site of Our Future” *

“The Mornings Without You” *

“Hunger”

“Not Your Hobby”

“The Human Condition”

“Ghosts”

“I Don’t Need More Friends”

“Depression is a Shadow Living Inside Me”

“The Underrated Heartache” *

“Green and Blue” *

“Rest in Peace” *

“Boat” *

“What If”

“The New World Had Drained Him” *

“Forward” *

“A Fresh Love is a Gift” *

“Celebration” *

“If Only We Met When I Was That Willing”

“Checklist”

“The Sun and Her Flowers”

“Fingers”

“Sex”

“Commitment” *

“The Chase” * (My favorite from the whole book!)

“Funeral”

“Medicine”

In conclusion, I still enjoyed many poems from this collection. I absolutely recommend reading both her books. I would happily read future collections written by Rupi Kaur.

"Tell Me Who We Were"

“Tell Me Who We Were”

Written by Kate McQuade

Review written by Diana Iozzia

Personally, I found myself very confused by this novel. First and foremost, the description tells us that this book is about a young group of female friends at a boarding school. They have an obsession with a handsome, young romantic language professor. Then, he mysteriously is found naked and dead at the bottom of a local swimming pond. So, how did this happen? Why? Well, we are invited to look further and read about the girls as they grow up and where they go from there. The story is told in short stories but they still surround the characters we were introduced to.

I found this book to be nothing like I expected. In the most unfortunate way possible, I felt that the story of the death at the boarding school was a catalyst but not a strong influence on the girls’ lives. They were deeply upset as teens, but the rest of their lives don’t seem to connect for me. I would have thought that each girl would have a different or similar reaction to Mr. Arcilla’s death, but the future perspectives felt insignificant, as if I was reading a completely different book.

We know very little about each girl, just a few short descriptors and the tiniest amount of information to separate them from each other. Still, I had to take notes, because they didn’t really seem like clear and constructed characters. I can suspend a little disbelief, because this book seems as it was written as an ethereal, strange story, but I felt like I just missed every point. I read others’ reviews and think, “I really don’t understand how they came to this conclusion”. The prose and dialogue are interesting, but I still can’t grasp the connections and construct this in my mind. We have characters when they’re young. Then, they’re older. Only one character, Lilith, truly sticks out as a fleshed-out, well-described, and interesting character. She seems to be the only girl who was deeply affected by Mr. Arcilla. She’s the only one with interesting actions, motivation, and anything really. The other girls: Evie, Claire, Romy (who’s kind of interesting), Nellie, and Grace have stories about them that could have been written into many different types of stories.

From the initial description and the positive reviews, I was expecting this book to be similar to “Lolita”, “The Virgin Suicides”, and maybe even “The Life and Death of Sophie Stark”, which is another strange and odd story with young girls going from adolescence throughout their lives. In addition, the shifting perspective and narrative style was jarring. Sometimes, we heard about every girl but in a second person style, then a third person about some of the girls, and then a first person and more. It was just disconnecting.

There was very little I actually enjoyed about this book. Well, Lilith and the lyrical, pretty prose. I was hoping for an introspective, wise novel about young girls and the influence of a tragic event. I didn’t receive that. I read in the author’s notes that many of the short stories were inspired by myths, parables, and fables, but since I was not familiar with any of them or could understand the influence, the book felt completely disjointed and unappealing. I was severely let down by this book, and I cannot recommend it. I gave this book a rating of 2 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance reader’s edition of this novel from the publisher. Thank you to William Morrow for the opportunity.

"One True Loves"

“One True Loves”

Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“One True Loves” is a beautifully written romantic drama by the great author, Taylor Jenkins Reid. I have become a big fan of hers lately, so perhaps my review is clouded by my interest and recent love for her books. However, I don’t care. I really loved this book and here’s why!

“O.T.L”. is about a woman named Emma Blair, whose husband who was presumed dead after a helicopter crash comes back. She has become successful, growing into a mature and wise adult, who chooses to take over her parents’ book store, a place she once held contempt for. She has healed after Jesse’s presumed death and fell in love with a childhood friend named Sam. When Jesse returns, after surviving three years on an island and being rescued, Emma finds her next decision impossible: who should she choose?

From the get-go, I love Sam. Sam is stable, kind, forgiving, loving, and sweet to Emma. He helps her heal, naturally, without expecting her to drop all of her sorrow and fall into him. He protects her and helps her grow. So, my initial reaction is support for him. We learn more about Jesse, how he was a fun, free-spirited love of hers. Her first one true love. Now, he’s angry, he’s frightened. He doesn’t understand how Emma could have moved on and why she can’t just let go of Sam. He drives illegally, he initiates sex that makes Emma uncomfortable, and he doesn’t communicate caringly with her friends and relatives. Personally, I have never hated a love interest so much. I know I don’t understand what losing a husband is like, but this is an exceptional case. I still hate him. So, where do we go from here?

I loved this book. I love Taylor Jenkins Reid’s prose. I think she’s honest, wise, and hilarious. She has a levity to this book that makes it feel loving and sweet, but we still understand the implications of every choice she makes. There were so many beautiful and cute moments, like Sam playing “Piano Man”. I can’t really tell you what I thought of the ending, because it might reveal how she makes her choice.

I highly recommend this story. I think this is one of Reid’s best books. So far, I’ve only read three. In order of favorites, 1. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, 2. “One True Loves” (this), and 3. “After I Do”. I plan to read her book, “Maybe in Another Life Next”. An additional aspect of this book that made me enjoy it was listening to it as an audiobook. It’s such a natural read, with a fantastic narrator. It was a very easy story to listen to while laying in bed, while falling asleep, when I woke up in the morning, and when eating breakfast. I felt it was easy to concentrate on, but I could also multitask while listening. I fully encourage you to listen to this as an audiobook, or if print is the way to go, I hope you enjoy it that way.