Tag: magical realism

Book Review: An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 400 pages
Author: Emily X.R. Pan
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Release Date: April 12th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love… but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After

EH.

I mostly felt like this book was trying to hard. There’s a lot of different angles for the story and the mythology + Shakespeare vibes were a lot to undertake in a short read. I think the focus one way or another would have been more effective.

The romance between Hunter and Luna was sweet. It was a gentle take on first love and choosing that love. They had an undeniable connection that clearly played out by the end of the book.

The mystery aspects were what kept me reading most. Every time a certain POV chapter popped up I was curious how the story was going to continue. There’s a nice and slow unveiling of facts and backgrounds that lead to the reason Hunter and his family are in hiding. I thought that there would be too many points-of-view (there’s 5+ if I remember correctly) but it did enhance the story and give necessary background information to understanding everything that was happening.

Magical realism isn’t my favorite. I know there’s always a book out there to make me think otherwise, this wasn’t it unfortunately. I do think the audio was narrated really well and would recommend that avenue for trying this book out.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: fade to black; closed door
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, domestic abuse

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Book Review: Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune #1) by Chloe Gong

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Rating: ★★★★★
Genre: YA Magical Realism + Historical Fiction Romance
Length: 528 pages
Author: Chloe Gong
Publisher: McElderry Books
Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.

Code name: Fortune.

But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.

To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.

NEW OBESSION.

I loved this book so much y’all!!!!!! It was one of my biggest releases for the year and it did not disappoint in the slightest.

All of the characters were amazing. The main leads Rosalind and Orion had me hooked on them because MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. I loved the build they have and the way they are slowly moving from unsuspecting partners to a close bond. They, along with the other relationships that are starting (not saying because spoilers) are fantastic. I am here for it all.

The plot is captivating and I never wanted to stop listening to the audiobook. There was great pacing and the flow of writing is stellar. I was definitely shouting at my steering wheel listening to some of these scenes. Shocked doesn’t even begin to cover it. I loved all of the twists and betrayals. Never quite knowing who’s side someone is on. It reads like an incredible spy thriller and I cannot wait for more.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Fiction + Magical Realism
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, blood depiction, medical experimentation mentioned, murder, physical violence, weapons violence

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ARC Book Review: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Magical Realism
Length: 304 pages
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: February 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales–the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after–and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ALC.

UNDERWHELMED.

Audiobook review: LOVED the audio. I thought the narrators (hello Steve West, I love you) were great. I didn’t have to switch audio speeds between them and thought it did enhance the story.

I wish I had more to say, but I am feeling completely MEH about this entire book. I have no distinct feelings and that’s saying something on it’s own.

I’m not sure where this book got the idea it’s a romance? But it is not. There’s some undertones and there is a marriage, yet that’s kind of it. This mostly focuses around one POV (that takes place in the past) and how that is affecting the bridegroom in the present. There was kind of a Narnia quality to this with a dark and fairy like overtone.

The writing gives an atmospheric vibe. I can see the gothicness with the spooky house that seems to know all. I didn’t have any complaints about the writing itself, more so, the execution of the plot.

A super toxic friendship that clearly goes predictably south didn’t bring anything new to the table. The set-up leads you to the inevitable conclusion.

Overall audience notes:

  • Magical Realism
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: multiple vague to closed door; low innuendo
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: adult predation of a child, grooming, bullying, murder

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ARC Book Review: Stealing Infinity (Stolen Beauty #1) by Alyson Noel

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Magical Realism / Fantasy + Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Alyson Noel
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: June 28th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

These days, I’ve been killing it when it comes to letting people down. Now I’ve been kicked out of high school, arrested, and accepted into a remote, off-the-grid school owned and operated by an inscrutable billionaire tech guru.

Gray Wolf Academy is looking for a certain kind of student. Ones that no one will miss. Like me.

Then there’s Braxton. The beautiful, oddly anachronistic guy who showed up right when the trouble started. And he’s a total enigma—which means that I definitely can’t trust him, even if there’s something about him that makes me want to.
They all tell me I have a gift. A very rare gift. And Gray Wolf Academy wants me to learn it. To use it. Because if what they say is true, I have all the time in the world.
And that makes me the most dangerous high school student you’ll never know…

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an audio ARC.

KIND OF INTO IT.

I picked this one up after a lot of hype from Bookstagram friends and I think it did it’s job well. As this was an audiobook ARC I’ll speak to that first, LOVED. No complaints here about the narration or anything. I thought it was wonderful and I was able to listen at a 2.5x – 3x speed easily.

The set-up for this was fun. I liked the time travel aspects and getting to see different facets of history. The school setting wasn’t a big factor (as someone who doesn’t love that setting). It was more in the background to everything else Nat was learning and doing.

I didn’t love the side characters. Some in the context of not great antagonists which came off childish. And others is just that I wanted more! There were many opportunities for some found family moments and I think those should have been capitalized on.

This was somehow upper YA and lower YA all in the same book. The dialogue and personalities leaned towards younger while the themes and some of the scenes (like attempted rape) were definitely in the older group. This clash caused a issue with me finding the right niche for the story overall.

I am intrigued by the plot though and definitely want to continue. I really liked the banter at the beginning of the romance and am curious how that is going to continue to play out. Maybe a love triangle? I’m not sure. BUT I did like what Braxton brought to the table.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Magical Realism/Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: some light
  • Romance: heated make-outs
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault, attempted rape, loss of loved ones, near death experiences

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