Taking place directly after the first book, Edie has burned through all of her favours with Wedderburn and Kian has made another deal with the Harbinger to ensure Edie's safety. The action is amped up in this installment, as the unpredictable Harbinger comes into play, old allies and enemies resurface, and Edie gains new powers. She is still a pawn in the game, but she is determined to play harder and better than the rest to save Kian.
The Harbinger
The newest character is the Harbinger, old entity of mischief and chaos. You can clearly see that Aguirre is fond of this new character, and she does acknowledge this in the Author's Note. For me, he was the best part of the entire book. He is capable of kindness, but he is also self-motivated, and ultimately he is driven to cause others pain. While he protects Edie in this book, I think it's important not to think of him as part of a love triangle. I think Aguirre set up a very intriguing character, and it will be interesting how Edie interacts with him in the third book.
Edie
The main character gets herself into gear--she trains (knowing it will only give her a slight edge against gods), gets new weapons/items, and gathers allies. She demonstrates agency and is active in moving the plot forward, not just reacting to it. For a while, I feared she was going to be OP (overpowered). She almost does, but Aguirre cleverly saw this too, and used it as part of Edie's arch and the story.
Gripes
I could have done without Edie and Kian constantly bickering. There were mistakes in this book, too (one is on page 331, "Like Nicole, when she was pretending to be our teacher." No, HE was pretending, not Nicole). A pivotal death scene in the book was so very anticlimactic and the writing wasn't very clear. It reminds me of the major death scene in Sever. In regards to another character, DCS would have taken him in. It's so obvious and it isn't addressed. Finally, another character death happened too soon. There was some attachment forming between the other characters, but when said character dies, I didn't care so much. If you're going to kill off a character, more time has to be devoted to them, or it falls flat.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed this more than the first book. The story has left behind the first book's premise of getting revenge on highschool bullies. Now, Edie is looking for loopholes to save Kian. The setting goes between the everyday mundane to creepy. If you have the first book in the collection, there's nothing stopping you from including this one.
Cassie has always been drowning, one way or another. When she was 15, her mother had her locked away in a psychiatric facility for youth. She was a troubled teen, but not mentally deranged. Her ineffectual father, co-dependent brother, and narcissistic mother left her there. When she turns 18, she's ready for freedom. Then her mother offers to pay for her tuition at college like nothing happened. Cassie still has all her emotional baggage, and yet her mother waltzes back in, after barely any communication after two and a half years.
Genre
This book falls into the categories of mental health, mental illness, and realistic fiction. Cassie is labelled as crazy, sick, etc. and it is an excellent exploration of how absolutely dangerous these labels can be. Here, it becomes a weaponized tool in someone else's game.
This is also a book that blows your heart to smithereens. I don't know how to define that as a genre, but it's there.
Essay/Discussion Ideas
Toxic motherhood, toxic families, toxic fatherhood, a son being a white knight, and mental illness. I can't think of any other book quite like it. The internet has an abundance of lists for YA mental illness in general, where the MC has a mental illness to some degree. The only book I can think of that has parents a significant mental health issue is The Ravenous. If anyone can think of any, please leave a comment! I know there must be more out there.
Final Thoughts
Some parts were genuinely difficult to listen to. There are the obvious assault portions, but even just listening to everything Cassie has gone through and her reactions were challenging. Yet, it was cathartic to get through it. I wanted to defend her, even when her reactions weren't justified. It was an interesting experience. I highly recommend this to teens and adults looking for heart-rendering stories of mental illness, mother/daughter relationships, and dysfunctional families. It does have some heavier subject matter (sexual assault, emotional abuse, physical abuse, co-dependence). I listened to the audiobook and Jorjeana Marie was fantastic.
Will has not been back to Medicine River, Alberta, in years, and he only returns for his mother's funeral. He meets Harlen, a man who is nosey and annoying at times, but ultimately well-meaning. The book details the other inhabitants of Medicine River. As a single, 40-year-old man, Harlen attempts to get Will into relationships, sports, and business. Will himself is half Indigenous and Medicine River is bordering on a Blackfoot reserve, so there are some tensions in the community. This book about identity, culture, and self-discovery.
I decided to do a short review here because in my AP literature class in high school, another student was assigned this book. Plus, I believe it was included in one of my university classes.
Genre, Pace, & Plot
Goodreads has this listed as Fiction and Cultural > Canada. I'd call it literary fiction. It has literary merit and subtle complexities regarding social issues that deserve insight and further thought. The pace is fairly slow, with the stories revolving around Medicine River and Will. While the stories can be intriguing in a slow-burning and quiet way, they are realistic and quite frankly, boring. A lot of criticism I see online for this is that it is boring, which I do not refute. However, welcome to real life. There are no big explosions, rarely do people get "hero" moments in their lives. Life is usually a string of mundane experiences with occasional knots of mild interest.
The major problem I have with the plot is with regards to Will's overall arch. He is insecure, passive, and simply floats in life. The thing is, this doesn't change! By the end of the book, he doesn't learn, despite Harlen's attempts to make him DO something. The book ended and I turned the page, expecting there to be more. No, there isn't. It's like King just stopped writing. Did he forget to write the end? Is my copy missing pages?
Essay/Discussion Topics
Families, identity, location and identity, First Nations/Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples in literature, Canadian literature, fatherhood. I enjoyed how Will interacted with South Wing, given his own history with his father.
Final Thoughts
For a personal read, it was an okay book. I hate that the reader is left with Will being exactly the same, unchanged, learning nothing. There area few spelling errors in my edition which bothered me (this was published by Penguin!). For an academic read, it does give an interesting dynamic to dissect. It was a quick, easy read. This book is similar to Stone Angel, as it is set in the present day and there are flashbacks to the past (I know this sometimes bothers readers). If you need to read Canadian fiction for a class, this is a good pick.
Also, question, if this book is set in Canada, why does it use miles rather than kilometres?
Published: 2013 Publisher: Thomas Nelson /Audible Author's Website Format: Audiobook, Unabridged Series: Anomaly Narration by: Hayley Cresswell Introduction
Thalli lives in Pod C, designed by scientists to be a musician. She and her pod mates live in an underground society because nuclear war has decimated the surface. Their society is very rigid and rational. Emotions are to be regulated. Questions are not to be asked. Love as a concept and feeling has been abandoned. Anyone who exhibits these traits are anomalies and must be annihilated. Thalli has avoided suspicion for all her life. Now that she is 17, it is harder. When she begins to cry uncontrollably, the scientists to label her as an anomaly to be disposed of. Desperate not to die, she and her childhood friend, Berke, try to prove her unusual character to be useful to their society.
Genre-Christian Fiction
I didn't realize it is Christian fiction until the talk about the Creator came in, and it was lightly spoken of at first. Goodreads has it tagged as Christian Fiction, so if you are interested in the genre, here's a Christian fiction, sci-fi, dystopian YA. Towards the end of the novel it got a bit heavy and it honestly dragged on and on when it really didn't need to. It might be a turn-off for some readers, but I thought the mixing of "science is the only way" and religious belief was interesting.
Writing
The writing is bland, and that's being generous. The world they live in is devoid of emotion and frivolous ideas like fancy words. It makes sense that everyone speaks without contractions and they are very "to the point". But even Thalli at her best is a white-bread experience. I am so very certain the writing style is very intentional given the world, but the reader has to enjoy reading the book. I listened to this as an audio book and all the dialogue and Thalli's descriptions came off as so stilted.
Also, the writing about the Thalli's brain and conscious vs unconscious thought and music was going to solve all of their problems...that was silly. I couldn't suspend my disbelief to think that the resident musician was going to solve the problem the scientists couldn't solve.
Twists
Most of the surprise twists were awful. Laughably awful. Yes, question the scientific society and you'll catch them in some lies. But the ridiculousness piled up and they were unbelievable. I don't want to spoil the book if someone actually wants to read this, but once you do read it, you'll know what I'm referring to (pretty much everything).
At first, I finished the book and was relieved the experience was over. Then I hop on to Goodreads and see this is a trilogy. This. Has. More. Books. White Bread: The Sequel. White Bread: The Conclusion. I doubt I'll listen to or read the others, but...maybe. Why? I also disappoint myself.
Final Thoughts
If you like Christian fiction, YA, sci-fi, and dystopias, I can see why this may interest you. I haven't read much Christian fiction, so I can't recommend anything in its place. However, this is a hard sell for me. The sci-fi portion of it was so disappointing. The twists that take place were ridiculous and unbelievable. The ending was a dumpster fire. I don't recommend this, unfortunately. It has, however, made me realize I should read and review Christian fiction so I can recommend some titles if a library patron ever asks.
*I don't have a problem with white bread, I really don't. I just don't want a book printed on it.
Published: 2014 Publisher: Entangled: Teen/Audible Author's Website Format: Audiobook, Unabridged Series: The Book of Ivy Narration by: Taylor Meskimen
Introduction
50 years after a nuclear war, survivors in the United States rebuild. Conflict regarding leadership arose between the Lattimers and the Westfalls. The Westfalls were defeated. In their post-apocalyptic world, the two families have "shared" leadership, with the Westfalls as figureheads of goodwill with no power. A major premise of their society is forced marriages between the two sides of town-the "good side" (Lattimers) and the "bad side" (Westfalls). Every year, teenagers (from each side) are paired off with opposition by the government and take on traditional gender roles. Men work, women have babies and clean the house. The Lattimers and Westfalls must marry their children to each other, age and gender permitting. This year, Ivy Westfall must marry Bishop Lattimer, but her father and sister Callie have something more planned for her. To overthrow the government, Ivy is tasked to kill Bishop. It's step one in her father's plan to rid them of their operssive rulers.
Story The premise of the story is a question: Can Ivy kill Bishop? I assumed the simple answer would be this:
Turns out, it's a little more complicated. First, can she kill anyone? And how can she kill a boy she doesn't know, but is getting to know? The book is a love story, though we've seen it a thousand times.
As the story progresses, there are some interesting twists I didn't see coming. Like most dystopias, the characters come to realize that they had been lied to, to some degree. Ivy questions everything and tries to remain a good person, and the struggle was engaging.
Essay Idea: Government Control & Enforced Gender Stereotypes
Could easily pair this with A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The government makes you marry someone of their choosing. The government is not elected. Men go to work, women have babies. These unions are not always happy or safe. Ivy is keenly aware of the threat of domestic violence.
Dissent is not an option. If you do commit a crime, such as refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, you are put outside of the wall that surrounds their settlement, and you are left alone. Cast out with no water, food, or shelter, you have to fend for yourself in an unknown landscape.
Bishop's Character
I was surprised that I liked Bishop so much. Spoiler alert: he's not like his parents in SO MANY WAYS. Kind, but wow, he's not afraid to dish out punishment when he sees bad things happening. I find a lot of YA men are bland and one dimensional. Time and effort were put into his character, and I appreciate it.
Final Thoughts
I recommend this to teens who like dystopias, gender roles, and oppressive governments. There is only one more book in this series, so it's great for readers who don't want to read seven books to get the ending. There could have been more world-building, but I suspect that the second book will cover that, given the circumstances.
I have something to say about the ending, so if you haven't read it, skip the rest of the post.
Ending Spoiler
What did she think Callie would do?! Plus...I don't like how she opted to have herself ejected from society rather than choose a side. At the very least, I thought she'd give Bishop a heads-up (you know, DON'T TRUST CALLIE!) but she didn't. That was anticlimactic.
Sayuri was brought from a small fishing village to become a geisha--an artist who entertains men. Early on, he falls in love with the Chairman. Part of being a geisha is not loving at all, but Sayuri is determined to have something with him. As her position in Gion rises with her perseverance, WWII is approaching, threatening everything she has worked for.
Authenticity
There was much discussion regarding whether or not the book is historically accurate or a truthful description of geisha life. The following post is not going to focus on the truthfulness of this historical fiction/fictional memoir but as a launching point for essay/assignment ideas. When I was in high school taking an AP literature class, a student was tasked with comparing it with another book, and I believe it was Three Cups of Tea, which also has a scandal regarding its authenticity (see Three Cups of Deceit).
Essay Idea: Sexualized Orientalism/Women as Sexual Objects
Despite trying to pound into the reader that geisha are not prostitutes, the sexualization and exchange of money are hard to ignore. They are educated young women, and still, their bodies are treated as marketable. Portions of the book are focused on how much flesh can be displayed to whom, and when. The end game of some geisha is to become a wealthy man's mistress (which can be seen as a prostitute attached to only one man). Hatsumomo's downfall accumulated with her probably becoming a prostitute, which is portrayed as negative. The conflicting ideology is tough to swallow. The label of prostitute is the absolute worst, yet the height of their careers is when they can exchange sex for money. A geisha's sale of her virginity is probably the highlight of her career, and people remember the sums they bring in.
The book depicts children/women as a burden. They are sold and whisked away to the city, where they become geisha or prostitutes (in the book, there's no mention of other possibilities, such as factory work, maids, etc.). When they do not earn as much as they used to, they are no longer valued and are seen as another mouth to feed (Hatsumomo). Hatsumomo and Pumpkin can be viewed as the outcome of such a life of exploitation.
The film, in my opinion, focused too much on the scenery than on being a good film (but it was a gorgeous film!). Characters aren't introduced properly, and I'd wouldn't be surprised if viewers were confused. In the book, Sayuri pursues men of her own choosing (aside from the constant pursuit of the Chairman). In the film, she does not pursue men other than the Chairman (which can be read as predatory, as he was a married adult when he met her, and she was 12). There are a plethora of differences that can be discussed.
Essay Idea: Truth of the Geisha, Golden VS Iwasaki
This book was written by an American. He does have some impressive credentials, including a degree in art history (specializing in Japanese art) from Harvard, and a M.A. from Columbia University in Japanese history. He had to ask some geisha to break their secrecy for this novel, and apparently, Mineko Iwasaki asked to not be named...which he did. In the back of the book, he thanked her, which cause a scandal in the current geisha world. She has since released her own memoir (Geisha, a Life), as it is contested by many that Memoirs of a Geisha has a lot of misinformation. A compare and contrast of the books' geisha would be interesting (as of writing, I have not read Iwasaki's book, I am waiting for it to arrive).
It has been purposed that perhaps he conflated oiran with geisha. They were in the pleasure districts and it seems that Golden's geisha are a mixture of oiran and geisha.
The book gives some details about how Japan was changing before, during, and after WWII. If you like history, you can write about the Great Depression and the American Occupation. How were they affected in Gion, or were they sheltered? What about the traditions they held on to, or tried to hold on to?
Essay Idea: Female Characters & Identity
This book is full of women, both good and bad. Ultimately, they all seem to scheme, one way or another, to survive in their world. Who survives by being strong and independent, and who submits to the oppressive system to get by? Why doesn't Hatsumomo make it?
(In the reverse, it seems that all men are creeps, even, IMO, the Chairman. What does that say in the narrative, as it relates to the women?)
Also, the concept of identity is interesting in this book. The female geisha characters are born with one name (Chiyo), and when they become geisha, they get a name that usually connects them with their mentor (Sayuri). If they are adopted by their okiya, they get the family name (Nitta) as well. Sayuri narrates her life, and her older persona seems to have a new identity as well, detached from her former selves. Geisha have elaborate hair and makeup, masking them, shielding them, making them a fantasy. Their kimono give them an unnatural cylinder shape that is difficult to walk in. The obi of their kimono have to be tied by men. With the help of men, and for men, they have to shift their identities. (Unless men are adopted for business reasons, they never change their name.)
Perhaps shifting identities is the only way for these women to survive their society. Perhaps they needed it because just being a regular woman in society was a dangerous feat.
Essay Idea: The Translator's Note?
The beginning of the novel starts with a translator's note, which is just Golden framing the narrative. What does this add? Authenticity, especially when the book's truthfulness is questioned? A buffer for misconceptions? The book isn't really a memoir either.
And this is all I have come up with. Please let me know if any of this was helpful! This blog gets hits but I rarely get comments anymore, so I feel like I am screaming into the void here.
Published: 2013 Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd/Audible Author's Website Format: Audiobook, Unabridged Series: Blood of Eden Narration by: Thérèse Plummer
Introduction
This is the prequel to The Immortal Rules. It follows a new character, Kylie, and returning character Ben Archer as they attempt to survive the early days of the epidemic.
Not Really YA?
First, the two protagonists are in their 20s, in their careers, and away from parents. They are established adults.
Second, there is also some graphic sex in the middle of the book that I found really off-putting, especially as I listened to this audiobook while running in a park. Why do this when the other three books are YA? Goodreads has this listed as YA as well, and I can't agree. It was so detailed and it went on forever. It is by far the most graphic scene of its kind I've encountered in "YA" thus far.
Final Thoughts
It didn't add anything to the other entries in Blood of Eden. In the beginning, Kylie is indistinguishable from Allie. If I were a library purchaser, I'd probably just skip it, unless you have die-hard fans, which is unlikely now, as the series is old and finished. This isn't YA, where would you put it? Away from the rest of the series in the regular fiction? Nah, not worth the trouble.
