Reviewing books can be an undertaking. I mean, I know you (my loyal readers) appreciate them… I have so many people who run into me at school or on the street and tell me that they just started reading that book I just finished reading because they saw it on my blog. And I LOVE THAT!
But it’s hard to find the time to review every book I read, and it’s even harder to find the motivation when a book isn’t spectacular or noteworthy or made me think or made me hate it. So, this mini-review roundup was born.
This November, I read six books, and three of them were of the Red Queen series. Honestly, this series just took over my life for the month, but I threw in our book club read and some fun fiction for good measure.
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Premise: 17 year old Mare lives in a society that is divided by the color of their blood — those who bleed silver and have special abilities rule over the ones who bleed red. When she finds herself at the hands of a queen, Mare has to figure out her loyalties and who to trust in this strange world.
Thoughts: I wrote about this book in my series review, but to focus on Red Queen for a minute, this book had a few great things going for it. The equality (not class equality, but racial and gender) was spot-on. Mare’s character is so delightfully flawed in this book, and, while she starts out cocky as hell, her story arch really makes her a likable character.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves a good YA dystopian series (think Hunger Games or Divergent). Anyone who questions class and equality. Anyone looking for an action packed read (seriously).
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Pretense: Awkward genetics professor decides to start “The Wife Project” in order to find a “suitable mate”. In the meantime, he meets Rosie, a young bartender who is looking for her father. Through his interactions with Rosie, he learns a lot about himself and the way he is living his life.
Thoughts: This was a reread for me! You can read my full review here, with an update from my reread. This book was quirky and fun, but also really addressed identity and how we choose to show our personalities to the world. I enjoyed it the first time I read it, but I got so much more out of it rereading it 5 years later.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for an uplifting book. Anyone who loves The Big Bang Theory. Anyone who is looking for a lighthearted read.
Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
Premise: Former groupie, current class mom Jen Dixon faces the day-to-day problems associated with being an “experienced” mom in a class of young mothers. Lost loves making a reappearance, classroom and teacher drama, and personal training mishaps ensue.
Thoughts: Meh. The story was cute and light and often funny. The author, however, needed a much stronger editor. She was so obvious that it really detracted from the story. For example, after eating and getting super drunk at a restaurant with friends, she says:
After leaving Jonathan a very nice tip (I tend to tip well because I was a waitress in college and it’s a pretty crappy job), we head out to the car.
Like… why is that necessary? Everything in this novel was spelled out word for word, and it really took out the suspense and intrigue that this plot could have offered.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who wants a quick, sassy read. Anyone looking for a main character with all the attitude. Anyone who was actually a Class Mom. Anyone who is a member of book club, as this was our choice for the month! (Ha!)
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Premise: Mare Barrow is back, along with old friends and new enemies. She got out of the situation that Red Queen left her in, and she is taking things into her own hands. There is SO MUCH MORE I want to say, but I do not want to spoil it at all.
Thoughts: This book, out of all of them in the series, has the lowest Goodreads rating, and I can’t understand why. Sure, Mare was laser-focused and super standoffish with everyone around her, which made it difficult to sympathize with her, but also, since it’s first person, you know exactly why she feels that way. I really liked Kilhorn and Cal’s growth in this book, and I loved meeting so many new, interesting characters.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves a good YA dystopian series (think Hunger Games or Divergent). Anyone who questions class and equality. Anyone looking for an action packed read. Anyone who read Red Queen, duh.
King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard
Premise: I mean, honestly, just go read this series.
Thoughts: This book was much slower in the first half, for very obvious reasons when you start the book, but whew, the second half realllly picks up. Mare turns things around in this book, and I felt like this was the book that she truly grows into her own. Plus, we get the chance to peek inside of some of the other character’s brains through multiple POVs, and I loved getting to see what some of the outsiders experience and how they view Mare.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves a good YA dystopian series (think Hunger Games or Divergent). Anyone who questions class and equality. Anyone looking for an action packed read. Anyone who read the rest of this series, duh.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Premise: Two women, 30 years apart. Present day 1947 Charlie is trying to find the whereabouts of her cousin, who was lost during WWII, while also trying to juggle a (surprise!) pregnancy and a family of expectations. Flashback to 1915, Eve is part of an all-woman spy ring in German-occupied France during WWI, and the implications of the events during that time lead to her and Charlie becoming friends.
Thoughts: This book was phenomenal. Kate Quinn’s writing was flawless… her descriptions were beautiful and haunting and spot-on. It was a tough read, but one that felt so necessary right now.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves historical fiction or multiple POVs. Anyone who wants to read about some badass women. Anyone who is willing to have their heart torn open just a little bit.
If you read these books and enjoyed them (or feel I left anything out!), let me know in the comments below!
I have been meaning to finish The Red Queen series, and now I definitely need to!