Hi all! Hope you're having good Tuesdays so far. I've got a couple TV-related things to talk about today, namely Outlander and Cursed!
I think you all know that I haven't been reading much besides fantasy recently. I'm just diving into other worlds, and realism has practically become my enemy (well--not that much. I still managed to finish Save the Date by Morgan Matson in one sitting yesterday). Apparently, this craving extends to TV as well, because after I finished The Witcher (and promptly bought sooo many themed candles), I needed to fill that space with a new fantasy show! My chosen one for the moment is Outlander, which is more historical but has time travel elements, but on Friday I'm looking forward to bingeing Cursed, based on the book by Frank Miller and Thomas Wheeler. I read the book a few months ago on the recommendation of a friend, and I enjoyed it enough that I plan to watch the show. It's an Arthurian adaptation where the sword chooses a Queen, instead of the "Once and Future King." Sounds good, right?
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I'm back today with my post on the blog tour for The Summer I Drowned by Taylor Hale, a new book out May 26th from Wattpad Books. I have a fun Q&A with the author, as well as my review down below. The Book and its AuthorFive years after almost drowning, Olivia Cathart returns home to Caldwell Beach determined to face her fears and take some risks—not just by swimming, but by opening her heart. Hoping to rekindle her friendships, she’s excited about a carefree summer with her best friends Keely and Miles. But life in the sleepy town has changed, and no one and nothing is as it seems. When a series of startling crimes threaten Olivia’s fragile state, she is plunged into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Her only solace from the chaos is West, Miles’s disowned and ruggedly handsome brother, but even he can’t answer the question on everyone’s minds—is Olivia really in danger or is it simply all in her head? Taylor Hale was born in Southwestern Ontario, and started writing on Wattpad in 2015. When she isn’t writing, she can be found bartending at a live music venue, and thinking up her next idea. The Summer I Drowned is her first novel. Q&A with Taylor Hale!Question: What inspired you to write The Summer I Drowned? Taylor Hale: Oddly enough, it was the name of a candle - “Sea Glass.” I thought it would make a pretty title for a story set in a beach town, maybe a romance. However, the title of the story evolved as the story itself did! Q: What struggles did you face when writing this book? How did you go about using details from Olivia’s past to inform her present narrative? TH: Getting into Olivia’s mental state was definitely a challenge, and a bit of a dark place to be writing from. I wanted to write her as someone who is constantly reminded of her past due to not only her trauma, but her emotional attachments to the people and places in the story. I think both her traumatic memories and her positive memories from Caldwell Beach shape who she is and how she sees the world throughout the story. Q: In the book, Olivia struggles with trauma and PTSD. What do you hope young readers will take away from the ways Olivia copes with her mental health? TH: I hope they will feel less alone. I also hope they will see it’s okay to ask for help, or to accept help when it’s offered—it isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. Q: How does The Summer I Drowned stand out from other books of the same genre? What do you hope to bring to young adult fiction? TH: I think THE SUMMER I DROWNED stands out in the sense that it has an element of thriller to it, but is very much a YA Contemporary story that focuses on friendships, relationships, and growing up. I hope to bring fresh and unique stories that someone, somewhere can relate to, even in a small way. More than anything, I hope my stories provide solace to those who need it. Q: When you started using Wattpad, did you ever anticipate becoming a published author? TH: Not really, no! I knew nothing about the industry or how people even get published. However, after being on the platform for a while, I quickly realized that writing was my calling. Q: What advice would you give to young writers who are inspired by your writing? TH: Writing is a craft that takes time and practice. Allow yourself room to “suck” — everyone starts somewhere. Give it time and patience and be kind to yourself when you feel your writing isn’t quite up to par; you’ll have time to fix things later. Getting words on the page is the most important first step. ReviewThank you to Wattpad Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
If you’re looking for a horror story to keep you awake on a hot summer night… cue The Summer I Drowned! I read this book in a single afternoon (I actually think it might be the first real horror book I’ve ever read?) and I was thoroughly creeped out. The scare factor is actually pretty high here—mysterious animal killings plague the town Olivia returns to, and none of the characters seem like plausible suspects, which only means any of them could have a secret motivation! Olivia struggles with PTSD and night terrors after a summer where she nearly drowned, so returning to the place it happened dredged up some fears and old mindsets for her. I was interested in a horror book’s portrayal of mental health and PTSD, where part of the terror is Olivia’s uncertainty whether or not she can trust her mind. I think this is an interesting angle to pursue, and perhaps differentiates the book from other thrillers. One minor quirk: I really disliked Olivia’s relationships with everyone around her. Her unwillingness to compromise and bland personality (I have no idea what kind of person she is, outside of her mental health struggles) made it a bit hard for me to empathize with her, but I was able to keep reading regardless. The book kind of… reads like a CW drama? My biggest annoyance with The Summer I Drowned was that I didn’t actually like any of the characters besides (mostly) Olivia. Keely, her best friend, seemed more interested in drinking and partying than being Olivia’s friend. Miles and West were both overprotective and tense around her. Their sister, Faye, was framed as a mean-girl character from the beginning who ignored Olivia’s trauma. I didn’t really have cause to care about any of their stories because they had few redeeming qualities from the outset. I’m giving The Summer I Drowned 3/5 stars because of this—still a recommended short read, but I couldn’t engage with anyone else’s storyline. Thank you to Tor Teen for sharing this copy in exchange for my honest review! I also created a moodboard down below, to give you a feel for the book. If you’re interested in entering the #TheRoyalTreatment sweepstakes, head here! To see Sarah on virtual tour for the novel, check out the tour graphic also included below.
A PRINCESS A STABLE BOY A QUEST When her father dies, Princess Amarande is given an ultimatum: Marry the leader of one of the four neighboring kingdoms, or lose her crown—and possibly her life. And to force her hand, her beloved, the stable boy Luca, is kidnapped. But Amarande was raised to be a warrior, not a sacrifice. And nothing will stop her from saving her true love and rescuing her kingdom. The acclaimed author of Sea Witch turns the classic damsel-in-distress tale on its head with this story of adventure, identity, and love. I LOVED Sea Witch, so I was thrilled to try a new adventure from Sarah Henning, especially because The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies. I ended up really enjoying this novel, and I think you all will find reading it a delightful way to spend an afternoon. I was drawn to The Princess Will Save You by its promise of high stakes adventure, and it did not disappoint! Half the book had me with my heart in my throat, and after the first couple of chapters I didn’t want to put it down. I basically tore through it in two sittings, and at 368 pages it’s a medium sized read. There’s no magic in the story currently, but royal politics and intrigue abound because of the Land of Sand and Sky’s division between kingdoms. I love royalty YA, so I was totally prepared for this one. The back-alley dealings of rogue princes and the intentions of our heroine princess to keep her crown are nothing new to YA per se, but the fact that this is a Princess Bride retelling (with all the complications of the original, minus the humor to my dismay) kept enough originality and I was never bored. Amarande’s quest to rescue Luca and gain her throne is understandable, and I became so angry on her behalf for the lack of agency allowed to her by the patriarchal customs of her continent. This is the easiest way to infuriate me, so no wonder I was on Amarande’s side so quickly. I do feel that she could have used a bit more victory in the book though. She won a few of her battles, but I wish I could feel like Amarande had gained more by the end of the story. To my current understanding, this is a duology, so… can’t she have a little win or two? The duology point brings me to the fact that I didn’t realize that this is the first book in a series when I started it, so I totally wasn’t expecting that ENDING!! It’s cliffhanger time, y’all! I was totally shocked when I turned the page and there was no next chapter, especially because I haven’t read a book with a cliffhanger ending in ages. I will absolutely be reading the next book, and I eagerly await any news on it. Overall, I give The Princess Will Save You 4/5 stars—it’s perfect for any fantasy reader, even if you haven’t seen The Princess Bride. If you have, you’ll get to smile at a few more references and understand some of the plot's inspiration. It's July 7, and you know what that means... Burn Our Bodies Down is out today!! Rory Power's sophomore novel is another horror/sff that will creep you out in the best way. If you haven't read my review, then read it here and let that convince you to buy this book! I'm so excited for this book to be out in the world, and for everyone else to read it. If you liked Wilder Girls, know that BOBD is a bit different but is definitely in Power's signature style, aaaand if you go order it right now you can submit your receipt to Get Underlined to receive an exclusive Wilder Girls short story!
My second thing is less bookish and more of a fun fact about me: I love mint chocolate chip ice cream! Originally this Tuesday's Two series was meant to let y'all get to know me better, but somehow I keep going back to bookish stuff. Oops! Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Ever since Margot was born, it's been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot's questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them, stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along. But that's not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only, when Margot gets there, it's not what she bargained for. Margot's mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what's still there? The only thing Margot knows for sure is there's poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she's there, she might never escape. This haunting sophomore novel provides new spins on Rory Power’s signature body horror and environmentally conscious themes. I was hooked from the very first page, and could not be more grateful to have experienced Phalene as an early reader. The cycles of abuse that Margot experiences feel so personal and real—her headspace is so clearly delineated through the novel that I truly think I got to inhabit her mind for a brief while. Her responses to the events of the novel also influenced her perception of herself and her family, so despite the fact that the book is entirely in her perspective, it avoided repetition. This contributed to my enjoyment of the novel, as I dislike narrative repetition if avoidable. My favorite books are the ones where I can understand each character’s choices, and what makes them tick. Ergo, Burn Our Bodies Down is one of my new favorites. This book is also special because of the relationships between its characters, even as we see Margot trying to learn who she is. Her family relationships, especially the rocky one between her and her mom, as well as the new friendships she forms, felt so real to me. I could perfectly imagine life in her apartment: candle lit, fridge semi-filled, too much waiting in the summer heat. And Margot’s never-ending hunger for what she thinks of as a “real family,” with love sweet like cotton candy. I can’t pretend to understand her specific situation, but Power wrote with such clarity and compassion that I truly felt for Margot. And let’s not forget the horror! Oh my goodness, I was not expecting the reveals. Everything builds up to the conclusion in a way that had me marveling at the foreshadowing. The body horror builds over the course of the story in a different way than in Wilder Girls, but I loved Power’s descriptions just as much. She has a very careful way about her words, and I was sucked into the visuals of Margot’s family and Phalene immediately. I’m giving Burn Our Bodies Down 5/5 stars, and I’m so glad it soared above my expectations as one of my most anticipated novels of 2020. Buy it, y’all! |
The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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