The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel

The Book of Ivy

The Book of Ivy * The Revolution of Ivy

Publish Date: November 3rd 2015
Publisher:  Entangled Teen/Listening Library
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Series: The Book of Ivy
Author: Amy Engel

Narrated By: Taylor Meskimen

Author’s Website

Goodreads

Introduction

The second book of the duology takes place directly after Ivy is put out of Westfall, the only home she's ever known. Without her husband, Bishop, or her family, she has to survive without any gear or basic survival skills. She has to navigate the world outside of her isolated city and meet new people and deal with old acquaintances she'd rather never see again. But of course her old life begins to catch up with her, and trouble in Westfall is stirring. 

Communication/The Truth

Hey, look, another character that can't communicate. Tellin (from Fins are Forever) exibited HUGE plot convenience by using poor communication. Ivy not communicating/telling the whole truth is part of her character and backstory. So in the new world outside of Westfall, it'd be easy to change up what you want to forget. If I were her, I would definitely have trouble telling the truth to new people too. However, I was internally screaming for her to just explain some circumstances at that moment because you know it's catching up to her. But nope. Gonna die by those lies, ok. 

This, except tell EVERYONE the truth. 

Secondary Characters and Antagonists

Engel could absolutely write a book (or two or three) about the two characters that Ivy meets. They are both unique characters with interesting backstories and their own personalities. They definitely weren't throw-away cardboard cut-outs and they become part of the plot. 

There are a few antagonists in this one. One, Westfall society. Two, the Lattimers. Three, Ivy's family, who abandoned her outside of the fence. Finally, there is another character that waltzes in and inserts chaos into Ivy's new life. When an irredeemable, disgusting antagonist is so well-written, you really get behind the protagonist's goal of triumphing over them.   

Essay Topics

Survival, found families, dystopian civilizations (and how they are overthrown), loyalty...

Final Verdict

The book folds up the story nicely. Yes, Bishop and Ivy are off doing other things by the end of it, but Ivy's revolution, her family and his, Westfall, all of that, is done. It drags a bit with all of Ivy's...less than stellar treatment of Bishop. This installment has more interesting action and stakes. The first one was slower with planning and scheming. This book starts with her trying to not die outside. Then fighting for her life. It gets a bit slower when it looks like she can carve out a place for herself in this world. 

This book does a very good job describing how it would be for a young city dweller to be thrown out into the wilderness and how things can go badly very, very quickly. Plus, it's brutally honest with the kinds of people you will meet outside who will take advantage of you. And I'm not talking about scamming you out of squirrel meat, I'm talking violent assaults. If violence scares you, or if Mark Laird's crimes from the first book bothered you, don't read this. 

Overall, I recommend this book if you read the first one. Probably shouldn't bother reading it if you didn't read the first one. 

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Publish Date: January 30th 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Author: Melissa Albert
Website: Author's Twitter, Author's Instagram

"There are no lessons in it. There's just this harsh, horrible world touched with beautiful magic, where shitty things happen." (pg 111)

Introduction 

Alice is seventeen and she's only really ever had her mother. They spent their lives on the run from the "bad luck" that was always on their heels, ruining any chances of happiness they had. They've lived everywhere from their suitcases, outstaying their welcomes, straining friendships, and the constant was each other, and their car, which they sometimes had to sleep in. One day Alice's mom, Ella, goes missing, Alice is understandably frantic. Ella left behind a message to stay away from the Hazel Wood. The backdrop of this story is Ella's mother, Althea, and her estate, the Hazel Wood. Althea wrote a book of short stories called Tales from the Hinterland (TFTH), and Ella had expressly forbade Alice from ever reading the book or asking about Althea.   

So what does she do? The most sensible thing every heroine does - she does exactly what she's been warned not to do. Along with Finch, an Althea fan-boy, she travels to the Hazel Wood and becomes tangled in the Hinterland's gruesome lore. Alice travels through a dark and creepy landscape to rescue her mom and figure out what exactly her story is.  

Alice, Unlikable Main Character 

If you don't like unlikable main characters, skip this book. There's no way to sugarcoat it. But she's real. She and her mom struggled to stay afloat and ahead of the bad luck for over a decade. She has anger issues, she's quick to judge, and she talks over other people. However, she knows of her faults and tries to act differently, it's just hard to rein it all in. By the end of the book, you get some explanations as to why she is like this. If you hang on and keep reading, you can understand her a bit better. I still found some of her outbursts completely ridiculous, and I feel that they are there just to drive the plot in a certain direction. I rolled my eyes and continued on. 

Finch, Hipster Fan-Boy

Finch is the most prominent secondary character in this story. He has read TFTH so he has vital pieces of information that Alice needs to navigate her situation. He's the only POC in this book as well and has some unique perspectives of the world that Alice does not (which is promptly dropped, btw). Hipster, yes. Rich, yes. Creepy, hell yes. I found him to be so awkward at first. He is basically in the cult-like fandom of Alice's grandmother, and it makes his interactions with Alice so weird. As the story goes on and he relaxes a bit and gets to know Alice as a person who knows nothing about Althea, he's better. As the pages go on and on, I liked him more. His money was certainly helpful in this situation, as I can't stand teens who go on adventures, buying whatever, when they all come from middle-class families. 

Writing 

I enjoyed the writing style immensely. I am well aware that some people detest it, and I'm not afraid to proclaim my love for it. The naysayers will stamp it as flowery, and it seems to be one of the reasons why people dislike this book so much. Personally, I like it, and it's like an amped up version of my own writing. Some examples: 

"A trio of women with bodies like fronds wound around each other in a way that looked boneless, their edges meeting and melting together in a watercolor blur." (pg 239) 

"It made the woods on Earth seem like the pencil sketches of a blind man who'd read about trees but never seen them." (pg 255) 

Every once in a while I would notice less-than-perfect sentences. "Her face was lost in shadow, her hands lit white spiders on the wheel." (pg 211). I know what Albert is trying to say, but it could be done with more clarity. I also noticed a few times, particularly close to the end, when I wasn't sure which character was speaking or being referred to. Overall, though, I think her writing adds to the haunting elements. 

Book Within a Book...

So this book is a book about a book/stories. There are only two stories from TFTH, which is a shame. But the author is making a solo book of TFTH, so look forward to that! An essay that you can do is compare it to other books that use a "book within a book"/embedded/nested kind of setup (I know there a literary term for this, I once wrote an essay on this, but Surprise! I can't find my folders containing my university essays/assignments. It's not metafiction or metanarrative, though).  

  

Gripes

After reading, I am still questioning why/how some characters did what they did. No spoilers here. Don't tell me "because it's a fairy tale". My other gripe is something that bothers me with urban fantasies in general - how do people not notice all these things happening in broad daylight?  

Final Verdict

"When Alice was born, her eyes were black from end to end, and the midwife didn't stay long enough to wash her." 

I loved this book. TFTH is a mysterious puzzle piece we, and Alice, don't have (but we will!). The first half of the book is contemporary New York and the second half is a haunting atmosphere of surreal happenings and a little bit of horror. The Hinterland portion reminds me of a game called Darkwood, if anyone is interested. This book is darker and gorier than I thought it would be, but I am 1000% here for that. At first, BookTube had enough people very pleased with this book. I got hyped. Then it seemed that everyone I followed hated it, and I'm so glad I took the chance and bought it anyway. It may be a little confusing, as I am struggling to sort out motivation/"how?" for some things, but I a greatly enjoyed my time with this book.  

Book Feels.

Now I just have to wait until the second book, The Night Country, is released. Goodreads current lists it as: 

Just for Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins * Fins Are Forever 

Just for Fins

Publish Date: July 3rd 2012

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Narrated By: Emily Bauer 

Website: Author’s Website

Quick Review

This book is about Lily trying to save the underwater kingdoms that are in trouble because humans suck and are destroying everything unintentionally. She tries her best to perform her royal duties and balance her student life, but it is difficult.

We get to see her go to the different kingdoms and meet more mermaids, which was by far the best part of the book for me. 

I HATE it when books make the characters do three trials. Video games, sure. Films, not so much. Books, please, don't do it. This book is less about romance and more about saving the kingdoms, which was a premise I liked more, but that's just me and I typically don't like romance. So, yeah, go save the world. 

Lily just...forgot about her career storyline? I know she has a lot on her plate but you know...it just got DROPPED. So...she's not going to college anymore? She'll just be under the sea, eating sushi, Netflix and chill'n?

If there was a fourth book, I'd listen to that too. Especially because of what will become of Quince - which was a nice touch.

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins * Fins Are Forever 

Just for Fins

Publish Date: June 28th 2011

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Author:  Tera Lynn Childs

Narrated By: Emily Bauer 

Website: Author’s Website

Quick Review

Guilty pleasure read. Well, listen. I listen to these on audiobook. This is a quick review; so, look, you like mermaids? You like YA? You like easy stories that you won't lose sleep over? Right here.

What is this book about? A lot. Lily is all set to not be a princess anymore so she can be with Quince, who is actually a good guy (at least from what I remember), and that was refreshing. (How often do we read about girls throwing away their future for "the one" who is gaaaarbaaaage?) She has to deal with some mean mergirls, but they don't really matter in this book. She's dealing with leaving her world and being on land as an adult who has to pick a job and grow up. Seems like everyone is disappointed in her, but she wants to be with Quince, she has made her choice. That was a great part of the book. 

Oh heeeeeey....Did you know about global warming and all the effects we humans have on ocean life because we're garbage? Mermaids are obviously better.

So, Doe has to come live on land with Lily and Rachel because of something she did DUN DUN DUH. It was mildly entertaining. However...why doesn't Rachel do ANYTHING about it? Fine. Don't expect anything great about Doe's motivations, because it's not there.

What takes off a star from me is Tellin. Alex, I'll take "Situations that could have been avoided with the barest level of communication" for 100, please.

But Tellin is an interesting character with cool colours, so we're just supposed to ignore his/the author's colossal stupidity.

The narrator of the audiobook can't do male voices still, and Quince's voice is dreadful. I'm supposed to like Quince in some way, right?

Did I write this just so I can post gifs of mermaids? Yes. Bye.

Public Enemies by Anne Aguirre

Immortal Game

Mortal Danger * Public Enemies

Published: 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Author's Website
Series: Immortal Game
Goodreads

Introduction

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.

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter

Published: 2016

Publisher: Philomel Books/Listening Library
Author's Twitter
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Narration by: Jorjeana Marie

Goodreads

Introduction 

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.

Medicine River by Thomas King

Published: 1990
Publisher: Penguin Canada

Introduction

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?

Video - Lindsay Ellis - The Evolution of YA: Young Adult Fiction, Explained

Just a quick post about a great video from Lindsay Ellis, made for PBS Digital Studios. Ever wonder how young adult literature came about?

The Evolution of YA: Young Adult Fiction, Explained (Feat. Lindsay Ellis) | It's Lit!

Shout out to those fabulous librarians! 

Anomaly by Krista McGee

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.

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

The Book of Ivy

The Book of Ivy * The Revolution of Ivy

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.