"Foul is Fair"

“Foul is Fair”

Written by Hannah Capin

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“Foul is Fair” is a fueled-by-revenge young adult fiction story, that follows teenage Jade and her cult, who are determined to take down a group of terrible boys that assaulted Jade. Those who are associated with them are not innocent either. Some handed her drinks; some ignored the actions. This book is first and foremost a retelling of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, but it also feels like it also combines in “Heathers”, “13 Reasons Why”, and “Carrie”. There are so many trigger warnings for this book. I highly recommend that if you are sensitive to read the information that the author has on her website, in which she lists possible triggers and explains the incidents so possibly sensitive readers may still continue to read.

With a cast inspired by “Macbeth”, we have:

Jade / Lady Macbeth

Mack / Macbeth

Jenny, Summer, Mads, the witches

Duncan, Duffy, Connor, and Banks: the lacrosse kings. The rapists.

In this book that is crude, rude, and full of bloodthirsty attitude, we see teen girls seek murderous revenge on those who have made horrible decisions and have hurt women. In a way, this book could possibly be misconstrued, as this is a book for teens. However, because it is almost too outrageous and over-the-top, I think teens would suspend their disbelief, rather than reading this as a brand-new Bible.

Jade used Mack, our Macbeth character, to kill his friends, the golden boys. She shows him affection and love but is truly just using him for revenge. She acts caring, pretends to tell the truth and pretends to be completely innocent. This book is absolutely wild. I almost think that this did not need to be a “Macbeth” retelling to be interesting. However, I think the publishing industry should start towing the line of books published that are rape revenge stories. I understand that the #MeToo movement is current and important, but revenge can be a fine line. Nonetheless, this was a campy, trashy, and bloody fun book.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this book. It was silly and cheesy and raunchy, but I had a lot of fun reading it. I do think I would have liked this a bit more if we had more involvement from the coven. A little too much of Jade sharpening her nails to be knives and scratching people. A little more magic would have gone a long way.

I received an advance review edition from St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes.

"After the Flood"

“After the Flood”

Written by Kassandra Montag

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“After the Flood” is a swashbuckling, tense thriller, taking place in a post-apocalyptic world in which a six-year flood ruined the earth. Earth has been covered by water, only leaving certain higher altitude hills, mountains, and island regions to be salvaged from. The people of Earth must scavenge and survive the harsh conditions and the terrible raiders who pillage, murder, enslave, and force others to join their crews. Similar to many of the recent post-apocalypse novels and films, we have a strong female character who must save herself and her children. Myra is a fantastic brain, who has been keeping her daughter, Pearl, alive as they fish and capture animals for survival.

When visiting a friend, Beatrice, at a local port for trades, Myra discovers that her husband who took her daughter and fled years ago, may be alive and in a very dangerous valley. Myra and Pearl join a crew upon the Sedna, a passive but tense group of people, as they plan to find their way to daughter Row.  Through many dangerous legs of this epic, Myra and Pearl must overcome the odds. They must find a way to survive and keep their humanity at the end of the day.

There are many interesting aspects of this world. I loved learning about which countries are still inhabitable, which animals are still in existence, and the different types of pirates. The relationships between the characters are so interesting and well-developed. I enjoyed the dialogue, the scenery, the descriptions.

With a gut-punch of an ending, we also see hope.

In conclusion, this was a truly impressive story. I have enjoyed many stories like this, including “The Last of Us”, “Station Eleven”, and more. However, I loved and felt such care for Myra and little Pearl. Pearl with her little snakes she hunts and keeps as pets. I highly recommend this story. This could become a new classic.

I received an advance review copy to read and review. Thank you to William Morrow Publishing.

“Recursion”

“Recursion”

Written by Blake Crouch

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“Recursion” is the science fiction thriller that I needed to read at the exact moment that I chose to read it. And boy, did it take me a while to be ready to read it. I had started reading this in June, but I found myself far interested in other books. However, I had heard such fantastic things about it and really sat down to pick it up again.

In this story, we are introduced to Helena, a brilliant scientist. After a diagnosis of dementia for her mother, she is compelled to create a memory chair, that brings your most important ‘flashbulb’ memories and lets you relive them. In a parallel timeline, we meet fragile Barry, who works as a police detective. He’s a rough and sad man, whose daughter had been killed a few years prior. His marriage failed afterwards. Barry is investigating False Memory Syndrome. People are beginning to remember things that have happened to them in fake lives, unsure of why they are imaging these things. As a result of False Memory Syndrome, many people in America have chosen to commit suicide or harm others.

We continue through the story, as we watch Helena create her machine, agreeing to team up with villain Marcus Slade. Now, how can we tell he’s a villain from the first time we meet him? Any white, middle-aged, handsome man with dark glasses in a nice suit on a recommissioned oil rig who says “Do you want to change the world with me?” is most likely going to be the core villain. Marcus Slade is an incredible antagonist and ‘mad scientist’ character. He is cunning and very manipulative, but he also has some brilliant ideas. Watching him devolve into a villain is a fantastic process.

Due to the memory chair being manipulated and changed by Slade and the government, memories are rewritten, knocking out any of the previous lives but keeping them as false memories, instead of creating paradoxes. The science fiction element here allows us to suspend a little disbelief, but the concept is certainly fascinating. These events resulting from the ‘dead memories’, the ones that exist but aren’t real, propel Helena and Barry into an end-of-the-world adventure, leaping through various different timelines, sometimes remembering each other and dying in many different ways. In the end, we have a relatively satisfying final timeline, however, I would have done it a bit differently.

This book was a wild ride, and I highly recommend it. With fast paced action and dialogue, you feel like you’re thrown along with the rest of the characters. I’d love to see this made into a mini-series. I’ve enjoyed other adaptations of Blake Crouch’s work. I’d happily consider reading more by him in the future.

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher in exchange that I would read and review the book.

"Sky in the Deep"

“Sky in the Deep”

Written by Adrienne Young

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“Sky in the Deep” is a very well-crafted and interesting fiction that takes place in an era unbeknownst to the reader. The tale follows young Eelyn, a seventeen-year-old warrior whose clan has been ancient rivals with another. Every five years, the two clans face off in a winter battle to please their own Gods. During a battle, she spots her brother, Iri, who has been dead since the previous battle, five years ago. She is taken by him and his best friend, Fiske, into their enemy village, where she is kept as a hostage, protected by Fiske and Iri. There is no trust on any side, but Fiske and Iri know they need to keep Eelyn alive.

Fiske and Eelyn have an unsettling romance brewing, since neither trust the other, but they still begin to care for each other. We are then informed during a harrowing action sequence that the scariest and most dangerous fabled clan has begun to attack both clans. Eelyn must unite both clans to face off this common enemy before it’s too late.

Personally, I loved the world-building of this story. I really enjoyed the scenery, the dialogue, the language the clans speak, and the family relationships. The plot of the clans’ rivalries and the new incoming battle was exciting, but everything else in the world was much more interesting. I felt truly immersed in the story.

There were two aspects I wasn’t a fan of. The love between Fiske and Eelyn seemed very rushed. Actually, the whole story seemed very rushed. I felt I could have enjoyed a trilogy of books that take place in this world, not just one story. The final battle between the two clans and the evil, fabled clan was great, but I would have loved more battle! The fighting in the book was gruesome and tactically planned. I enjoyed learning of certain maneuvers, how they would have battle partners, and the warfare tactics they would use, like the warriors clicking their tongues quietly to alert their fellow clansmen but not loud enough to alert their enemies.

I felt that I really enjoyed this story, because it reminded me of other books and films like it. I was strongly reminded of the early seasons of “The 100”. I have also heard the book compared to “Vikings”, “Wonder Woman”, and more.

I recommend this book, but I would just prefer it a little differently. I could have read a thousand-page book with all of these aspects without any hesitation. I loved the world-building, the religion, and characters. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

I rated this book a four out of 5 stars.

"An American Marriage"

“An American Marriage”
Written by Tayari Jones
Reviewed by Diana Iozzia



To be frank, “An American Marriage” was my most disappointing read for this year so far. In no way was it the one I enjoyed least, but it was the epitome of disappointment, as I had such high hopes for this story. This book is told in three perspectives, by Roy and Celestial, a couple whose lives have been ruined after an incorrect conviction of Roy, for raping a woman, and then the perspective of Andre, the man who Celestial falls in love with, while Roy is incarcerated.

“An American Marriage” faces many tough issues that any marriage would face, like impressing the parents, disagreement about raising children, and job insecurity. To then add the extra difficulty of incarceration, you’d be naïve to think that Roy and Celestial would be fine emotionally afterwards. Roy has a tough time in prison, but he has been watched over by his biological father. There is never any doubt that Roy would have raped the woman, but the separation from his wife for five years was far too impactive on their marriage. Celestial does not want to visit him; she hardly wants to see his parents with whom she never had a strong relationship. Celestial misses him, but she connects with Andre again.

I felt that this story has a dark layer of sympathy. Where do we as readers draw the lines of morality? Would we be strong enough and loving in our relationship to wait for our spouses after imprisonment? Would we accidentally fall in love with a close friend? Also, who do we as readers side with? At first, I felt for Roy, but he began to change in a negative way as the story progressed. He pressures Celestial, nearly rapes her, and fights with Andre. I sympathized with Andre most, because although he was involved in Celestial’s cheating, it was not his marriage he was disrupting. Celestial made an active choice to cheat on Roy. Roy made an active choice to alienate his loving wife, the second he stepped into prison. It was always her fault that she did not visit, never considering what it took her to get there.

I felt this book was very sensitive and well-written. It’s just about a marriage failing. However, I was hoping for just a little more. I’m not quite sure what I was truly hoping for, but the book fell flat for me. It was hard for me to not like most of the characters’ decisions and choices. I felt myself pushing to continue and finish this story, rather than savoring it or wanting to finish it out of excitement.

I rated this story a three out of five stars.

"Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood"

“Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood”

Written by Marjane Satrapi

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood” is a memoir told in black and white comic strips, telling of Marjane’s life as she grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. We see her as a young girl who grows from six to fourteen. Satrapi has continued her story in the series, which I plan to read further. Marjane portrays herself as curious, rebellious, funny, and wise. Her story is very devastating and very important.

As a twenty-three-year-old American female, I found myself drawn into this story, to see how Marjane was treated as a female during her childhood. What she was allowed to wear, do, own, and say. I felt I learned a great deal of information about the Islamic Revolution. Unfortunately, when I grew up, I never remember learning much about this, other than a semester in college. In my high school classes, we learned about America and Europe, but we really did not learn much about the Middle East.

Marjane’s story is tragic and hard to read at times, as we learn about people who she was friends to and related to that suffered and some who were even executed. The format of this story was interesting. A comic strip makes the information easier to read and provide the visuals of what these times looked like. I felt that this book could also be understood by teens and adults, so I liked that it was very accessible.

I highly recommend this read. I flew right through it, desperate to know what would happen next. I absolutely plan to continue reading this incredible author. I rated this a four out of five stars. I felt that I enjoyed this, but this will not be a favorite read. I imagine that the series as a whole will be a favorite.

"Saving Meghan"

“Saving Meghan”

Written by D.J. Palmer

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“Saving Meghan” is a psychological thriller novel in which a family and two doctors become entrenched in a dangerous game, as parents, Carl and Becky, are desperately trying to save their daughter, Meghan. For years, Becky knows that her daughter is sick with some sort of illness, but her doctors can never determine what it could be. Dr. Zachary Fisher believes that she is sick with a rare and hardly treatable disease that affects her mitochondria. Dr. Amanda Nash is positive that Becky is suffering from Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome, a mental illness in which a parent makes their child sicker.

As we read through the story, it is very clear what could be wrong, but we are constantly thrown red herrings and plot twists, making us readers unsure if we are right. If we are just confused, like the other characters. We are thrown into the crooked marriage of Carl and Becky, finding out details about who we should and should not trust. An interesting legal battle ensues, having Meghan taking into hospital custody, away from her parents. However, it’s a bit muddled to the reader if that is the safest place for Meghan. In the final few twists, we understand the truth, and it’s shocking.

I was pulled into this story very quickly. I never found myself wanting to stop reading. I was thoroughly impressed by the execution of this story and think it was great. However, this book will not become a favorite. There are many elements that I’ve seen before in thrillers, leading me to be able to guess the true villains. I felt a bit unimpressed by certain aspects of the story that if I explained, it would be a spoiler. I think this is a very good thriller, and I highly recommend it.

I received an advance reader’s copy to read and review.

"A Girl Named Anna"

“A Girl Named Anna”

Written by Lizzy Barber

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

“A Girl Named Anna” is a psychological thriller told in two parallel perspectives. The first is told by English teen, Rosie, as she tries to reopen the search for her sister, Emily, who has been missing for fifteen years. The other story is told by Anna, an American living in the South, who starts to suspect that her religious and overprotective mother is hiding secrets from her, when she goes to a theme park that she has never been allowed to visit. We understand immediately that Anna was young Emily, possibly kidnapped years ago. How will the two find each other safely? Will they?

This is an absolute whirlwind of the book, with our characters risking everything to find their way to their family. Anna’s relationship to her mother is as Carrie’s relationship is to Margaret White from Stephen King’s “Carrie”, with author-confirmed allusions. As an ultimate fan of the book, film, and musical versions of “Carrie”, it was a welcome comparison. In addition, we also have really interesting plot elements, like a Reddit-like forum where Rosie searches for true crime conspiracy theorists. In addition, a terrifying religious cult is always a great addition to a story for me.

I genuinely loved every part of this book. Each aspect of this book fits seamlessly together, creating a simple and effective thriller, rather than one full of red herrings and twists. Every scene, chapter, sequence, and more were just brilliant. I felt that the actions each character took were very realistic. Their own personalities and plights were very sympathetic and naturally written. One fascinating parallel between the two girls were some vocabulary choices that the author used. In both Rosie’s and Anna’s storylines, there is a large usage of the shade peach. Both characters use the word “secreted” a few times. I found it to be an interesting literary choice to have two linked characters use similar words and enjoy the same types of fabric, color, food, and more.

Lastly, we do not have a large plot twist. However, we have a great number of heart pounding scenes, a great climax, and a very open-ended conclusion. A prevalent theme in “A Girl Named Anna” is sacrifice and familial love, and I enjoyed seeing how those themes prevailed. I personally think this is a fantastic thriller, and I cannot wait to read more by this author in the future. I highly recommend this book, and I’ll be talking of it for years to come. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 stars and believe this to be a new favorite.

I received an advance reader’s edition of this book from Mira Books in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes.

"The Perfect Son"

“The Perfect Son”

Written by Lauren North

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

Lauren North’s debut thriller “The Perfect Son” follows our main character, Tess, who wakes up in a hospital. She remembers that she has been stabbed, her son is missing, her husband has died three months prior, and that she thinks her brother-in-law, Ian, is conspiring with her grief counselor, Shelley. This thriller fits into many categories but best described; it is an amalgamation of nearly every psychological thriller trope you can find. The plot is very slow, is full of red herrings, has a dramatic, plot twist that changes everything ala “The Sixth Sense” and “The Silent Patient”.

As far as the plot goes, I was entertained and curious about the seemingly suspicious Shelley and Ian, knowing from the get-go that I should not trust them. We learn a large amount of exposition very quickly, as Tess catches up, slowly unraveling her memories. Her perspective is told in the second person imperative, speaking to her dead husband directly, telling him the story. Her memories flash in with startling details. However, when they are announced, it feels like every event must one up the previous in its horror. This tires the plot out.

I personally was not a big fan of the plot twist, because it felt very generic. I was not able to predict the ending, but I didn’t think we needed it. I felt that the first 80 percent of the book played out like “Lullaby” by Leila Slimani, in which we know the villains and what they have done, in reverse suspense order. In this as well, we have that same element with a countdown to even provide further intrigue.

Another element that I did not enjoy was a concurrent transcript between Elliot Sadler, who we assume to be a detective, and Tess at the hospital in which she was admitted. These transcript entries do not provide enough detail or plot intrigue to feel needed for the story.

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed “Lullaby”, “Sometimes I Lie” by Alice Feeney, “Her” by Harriet Lane”, and “The Girl in the Rearview Mirror” by Kelsey Rae Dimberg. I personally was not a big fan of this story, and in trying to reread some of the passages, I felt confused by the plot twist again. Buyer beware.

I received an advance review copy in exchange for reviewing purposes.

"Daisy Jones & The Six"

“Daisy Jones and the Six”

Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

This year, I have fully developed into a big fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books. After reading the first four, I chose to read “Daisy Jones and the Six”. This book is an oral history of a fictional rock and roll band from the 70s, as they go through the first initial fame to full blown insanity, to their downfall. Daisy, Billy, and the other bandmates are not the best model citizens, as they drink, do drugs, and have reckless sex. Our ensemble cast is interesting, but I felt disappointed with this book. I felt that I enjoyed the rise to fame story, but I was disenchanted by their ridiculous actions and choices.

With Daisy and Billy portrayed as arrogant and selfish lead characters, the smaller bandmates squirmed in the sidelines. However, I feel that the side characters were the most interesting and entertaining characters. I loved reading about Karen and Graham, Eddie, Pete, and especially Camila.

The format of the book was an element that I have not seen often in fiction books. The story of the Six and Daisy is told by the accounts of each character, written in a format that is reminiscent of bio-pics and music PBS specials. I’ve seen many friends and fellow reviewers say that the format reminds them of “Behind the Music”. Additionally, a large portion of the book was related to the music, which incorporated song lyrics. For the actual story, it made sense to sprinkle in a bit of the lyrics, but I did not feel that we needed each song printed in the back of the book.

I felt that I preferred the elegant but rags to riches story from Reid’s other popular hit, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”. At least with those characters, the ones who we love are wonderful. The ones we do not like get their just desserts. We are not meant to love or care for Daisy or Billy, so why are we supposed to be stuck reading about them for so long? I was heavily reminded of “A Star is Born”, in many examples.

In conclusion, I do recommend this book. However, I fully recommend Taylor Jenkins Reid’s other books more than this. Unless you love ‘sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll’ stories. I rated this book a 3 out 5.

"We Were Liars"

“We Were Liars”

Written by E. Lockhart

Reviewed written by Diana Iozzia

I believe that this book is one of those that you should absolutely go into blindly. The plot is very small at first, but the book develops into a very intriguing direction, causing the reader to be rapt with attention.

“We Were Liars” is a very twisted and complex summer read, with our main character, Cadence, struggling to remember a horrific accident. Cadence has grown up with her cousins, Johnny, Mirin, and their uncle’s stepson, Gat. Cadence tells us of her summers gone by at the fancy summer home and her awkward family drama. Cadence also starts to remember small details about the accident, asking questions of her mother and her cousins, wondering why no one will tell her the truth. As she begins to remember, she realizes that her family and her past were gilded, rather than golden.

The story has a few unexpected plot elements. For one, we have small hints and suggestions at the accident, as Cadence describes some small details in a grotesque manner. For example, she tells us that on the day that her father left her and her mother, he pulled a gun and shot her in the chest, her blood pouring out onto the cement. However, this is only a bizarre metaphor. In addition, she speaks about her headaches being so terrible, that her head cracks open and scavenger birds pick at the insides. These are just such strange metaphors, but I enjoyed the implementation. The story keeps you on your toes, as you question every sentence. To continue, a second plot element that I enjoyed was vignettes of fairy tales and folklore. They did not seem to have a direct correlation to the story but were used as a foreshadowing technique.

In the climax and conclusion of the story, Cadence remembers the full accident, which is an absolutely horrifying one indeed. There were many moments that I felt that I was tangled with emotion. 

In conclusion, this is a very worthy read, although it is very confusing and unconventional. I believe that if you enjoy reading “The Great Gatsby”, “Riverdale”, and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”. I also felt that this author’s writing style reminded me of Gillian Flynn’s, especially her style in “Sharp Objects”. I also have to mention that I listened to the audiobook version of this, and I truly think it was a great listening experience. I highly suggest readers consider using this format. I rated the book as a whole as four out of five stars.

"Garden of Ravens"

“Garden of Ravens”
Written by Krystal Jane Ruin
Reviewed by Diana Iozzia


“Garden of Ravens” is a dark collection of poetry, with influence of magic, fairy tales, mythology, lore, and horror elements. Krystal Jane Ruin is a new poet to me, so I was eager to see how her poems connect and if I would like to further dive into her written works.

My first impression of the collection was the extensive table of contents. Noticing the myriad of poems in this book, I became further intrigued. Additionally, the poems shift from a very gothic, enchanting language to a very modern and childlike but eerie style, which reminds me a bit of “Into the Woods”.

The collection has been organized in sections. The sections are called: “Garden of Myth and Lore”, “Garden of Graves”, “Garden of Shadows”, “Garden with the Broken Gate”, “Garden of Storms”, “Garden Without a Key”, and “Garden of Starlight”. From the collection, here are my favorites.

“Deliver Us from Chaos: A Limerick”
“Merlin”
“The Inescapable”
“I, Medusa”
“Snow Queen”
“Pinewood Falls”
“Mythos”
“Void”
“Everything”
“My Heart Floods to You”
“Darkest Night”
“The Wind Changes Nothing”
“Breaking Away from You”
“She Loves This Boy”
“More”
“The Wrestler”

After reading this collection, I had many afterthoughts. I felt very inspired to create poetry for myself, since I hadn’t really read poetry like this, and it felt exciting. Although not every poem in the collection was a favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed the collection. I felt myself longing for new retellings of classic stories like the Medusa myth, Pandora’s myth, and more. I wholly recommend this poet. I highly look forward to reading her other poetry collections.

I was sent an e-book version of this through Netgalley in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes.