Friends, I hope this week finds you well! Here in Michigan they’ve extended our stay at home order until the end of April, so three more weeks of staying home for me. My classes are about wrapped up, though! Which means probably more reading for me next week. Hoping for some motivation to do some writing too, but we’ll see. It’s been difficult to find the motivation for that, lately.
Anyway, here are the books I read for the week 4/4 – 4/10. No graphic novels or anything this week, so the count isn’t as high as it has been. But, I’m almost done with all the library books I have, so I’ll be digging into that unread shelf. I think I can knock quite a few books off of that!
Check out previous week’s reviews: 3/21, 3/28
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 4/4
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (4/4)
The first book in the Infernal Devices series, we’re sent back to 1878 and the Shadowhunters that live in London. Tessa Gray is plunged into the supernatural world, with a unique talent herself: she can shapeshift. I’m working my way through all of Cassandra Clare’s books on audio, and I’m enjoying these so far! I like the characters in this series much better than the ones in the Mortal Instruments. If you follow me on Goodreads, you’ll know that I can’t stand Clary. I haven’t found that with any characters in this series, though! The narrators change for each of the audiobooks, but I still find the books immersive and I’m put off by the changing narrator (4 stars).
Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett (4/5)
I wrote a full review of this book yesterday, but I’ll just include a quick piece here. I absolutely loved the characters in this; they were relatable and the romance felt realistic. These kinds of books always make me want to live in a beach town and run an indie bookstore. Maybe a backup plan? (4 stars)
Most Likely by Sarah Watson (4/6)
This book starts out with a snippet of a female president being sworn in. The rest of the book is formatted kind of like a mystery. Following four best friends, you get a glimpse into their senior year of high school. Based on this, you try to guess who will be elected president in the future. This is a unique premise for a book; the mystery really keeps you going throughout. My only complaint is that the girls’ voices kind of blend together throughout. Besides their likes and activities, it’s difficult to tell one from another. A diverse, entertaining read all about girl power (4 stars).
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai (4/8)
Told in verse, this follows one girl’s journey from Vietnam to the United States in 1975, during the Vietnam War era. Based on Lai’s own experiences, readers get a glimpse into what it was really like at this time for Vietnamese refugees. This is a topic that isn’t often covered in middle grade novels, or any novels outside of that, really. It’s clear why this book won so many awards when it was published (4 stars).
Lucky by Alice Sebold (4/9)
Before she became a writer, Alice Sebold was raped during her freshman year at college. This book follows the aftermath, examining the entire process of the trial of her rapist. While I believe that this is an important topic to discuss, some of the writing just felt off to me. Some of the ways that certain subjects were discussed just rubbed me the wrong way. I still think this is an important topic, this book just wasn’t what I was expecting (3 stars).