We’re at the end of another week! The week of 5/9 was the week of re-reads for me, as I wanted to re-read The Hunger Games before the new book comes out next week. I’m also re-reading Saga with a friend and starting Chaos Walking. So much for reading unread books, right? Ah well, there’s plenty of time for that. Re-reading things brings comfort.
I actually sped through The Hunger Games pretty quickly this week, basically finishing each book in a single day. I finished a total of 6 books this week! Which means that I’m pretty close to getting to 100 for the year. It might happen this weekend!
Check out previous week’s reviews for 2020: 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 5/9
Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman (5/9)
This was the last book by Bowman that I had yet to read, and I’m so glad I did. Summer Bird Blue was the first book by her that I read. One of my favorite things about her writing is the way that she portrays emotion. In this book, Kiko uses visiting art schools as a way to get away from her abusive family. Her art is her escape, and she has to work through her trauma and anxiety. Absolutely a must-read (5 stars).
Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan (5/9)
The first of the re-reads that I finished this week! I haven’t read this series since it was first coming out all those years ago, and I’m happy to be reading it again. Especially now that we know how it ends. It’s interesting to see some of the things that might hint at events that happen later and as always, Vaughan’s writing is amazing. And the art! There’s definitely a good reason that this series is highly recommended if you’re looking for a way into comics (5 stars).
The One by Kiera Cass (5/9)
As the final volume in the original Selection series, this is a pretty good ending overall. For me, it felt a bit stretched out there at the end. It feels like Cass was trying to add some danger elements in the series, but they didn’t really feel like they fit. The overall ending felt a bit rushed as a lot of the plot just happens in the last fourth of the book. But it was entertaining enough. Kind of curious to see where the next two books go (3 stars).
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (5/12)
Another re-read! A friend of mine is reading these books for the first time and I thought I would re-read them along with me. Re-reading this series reminds me of how much I love these books. They were a part of the basis for my Master’s thesis, and I can’t help but still notice some of these elements while I’m re-reading them. There are also details that I pick up on that I hadn’t noticed before. I also can’t turn off my analytical lit brain while reading them, and now I just want to write an essay about it (5 stars).
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (5/14)
Reading these brings me back to when they first came out. I was a part of a book club then, and we got the chance to go to the American Library Association in Chicago. It was there that they were giving away ARCs of Catching Fire. We all waited in line for them, and then I read the whole book in one night (so I could read it before my sister). This is the series that started the dystopian craze in YA, which is still one of my all-time favorite genres. It seems like maybe it will make a comeback! Also yes, I forgot how snarky/angsty Katniss was in this book and it was just fantastic (5 stars).
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (5/15)
I basically read this whole book in one night. I thought more of the book was consumed by the Quarter Quell, but it really only takes up the last third of the book. There are so many events that they leave out of the movie at the beginning there. I don’t really blame them; I still think the movies are great adaptations of the books. But I like how the events at the beginning add to the general unrest that’s rising in Panem throughout this book. I seriously can’t wait for the prequel to come out next week (5 stars).