Tag Archive for: Contemporary

,

The Schwa Was Here

The Schwa Was HereTitle: The Schwa Was Here
Author: Neal Shusterman
Series: Antsy Bonano #1
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Pages: 228
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

Before I read THE SCHWA WAS HERE, I had only read one other book by Shusterman–UNWIND. I liked it fine, but not really enough to run out and buy or check out any more of his books. Because of that, I wasn’t really looking forward to read this. I’m glad I read it, though. It was a very funny, heart-warming story. I especially liked the allusion to The Lord of the Rings.

I really liked the characters, especially Antsy, the Schwa, and Lexie. I also really liked Mr. Crawley, even though he was kind of the anti-hero of the story. I really felt for the Schwa. I think we’ve all felt invisible at times, but nowhere near the extent of how the Schwa feels. He’s truly functionally invisible. His dad didn’t even realize he was there most of the time.

I wouldn’t call this book a comedy, but I really wouldn’t call it a tragedy either. It definitely makes you think about how you treat others, how your choices impact those around you, and how your choices don’t just affect you.

,

A Different Blue

A Different BlueTitle: A Different Blue
Author: Amy Harmon
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Spice: 1 / 5
Format: Kindle
Pages: 322
Reason Read: Recommended
Rating:

My Thoughts

I was a little hesitant to read because A DIFFERENT BLUE because it’s a self-published novel and I’ve been burned by them before. However, I’m glad I gave it a chance because I really ended up enjoying it.

It’s a story of redemption, love, and finding oneself. Blue’s story broke my heart and also gave me reason to be happy. She was such a strong person without even knowing it. She was also very selfless. I was captivated by her strength and will to survive. I rooted for her every step of the way on her amazing journey of self-discovery.

Wilson was definitely a character I could sink my teeth into. *wink wink* He was so well-developed and a great mentor and love interest for Blue. He was smart, charming, and British–sexy accent and all. I really loved all his Britishisms. And, like many of his students, he probably could’ve been the ugliest man alive and I’d still have loved him because of his accent and his personality. Fortunately, for the reader, he was described as being pretty darn good looking.

I loved Blue and Wilson’s relationship. I loved that they built their friendship and love for one another over time, not immediately. While the sexual tension was strong and fun to read, I loved that they helped each other and that their relationship wasn’t built purely on lust. It actually seemed like real love.

My only gripe is that I feel like the book could’ve done with more editing. I’m not talking about spelling errors, missing words, or extra words (although there was that too). I’m talking about continuity problems. There were a few times I was ripped out of the story because the wrong name was written. It halted the flow and the emotion I was feeling.

However, despite its editing flaws, this is worth the read.

, ,

The Actor And The Housewife

The Actor And The HousewifeTitle: The Actor and the Housewife
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: LDS Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 339
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I normally don’t like LDS fiction. In fact, I hate it. It’s so unrealistic because it doesn’t usually show any part of the real world and what it’s actually like to live in this life. I was very hesitant to read this book, especially when I found out the main character was Mormon. However, having said all of that, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

I loved that some of the characters swore. I especially loved that Felix Callahan, a non-Mormon actor, swore. (Swearing is usually a no-no in LDS fiction whether the character is Mormon or not.) It made the story much more believable. I’m also glad Hale didn’t go overboard with the swearing and used swear words in all the right places to be poignant.

I loved the discussion between Becky and Felix about God. Although I personally never say “god” in a non-religious, non-respectful way, I understand that others do. I understand that it’s just a word to a lot of people. And, I loved that when Felix said it as just a word, it was uncapitalized and created some great discussion. Plus, at the end when you could see Felix possibly changing his mind about God, he told Becky, “I thank God for you,” capitalized, which said a lot.

I was expecting a very light and fluffy book. I was expecting lots of humor. I was expecting swoon-worthy moments. I did get all that, but I also got a great depth of emotion. I haven’t cried so hard while reading a book since 2007 when I first read HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. At first, I hated that aspect of the story. It made me smad and it made me miss my mom. Now that I’ve been able to think about my emotions and deal with them, I’ve realized that I’m glad Hale did what she did. I’m glad she let the story take her where it did. It made it so much more deep and meaningful. And, it endeared me to the characters even more than I already was.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is the exploration of all the different types of love–lust, friendship, infatuation, and deep, meaningful true love (and the fact that that kind of love takes work). There was a small part of me that wanted Becky to be with Felix, but I loved the story more because Becky stayed true to her husband and faith. I also loved the lack of a Hollywood ending because even though the story is already unrealistic, it was still believable in the book world. However, if it had had a Hollywood ending, then it wouldn’t have been believable in the least bit and I would’ve hated it.

About A Boy

About A BoyTitle: About a Boy
Author: Nick Hornby
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Paperback
Pages: 307
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

The synopsis made ABOUT A BOY sound like the book is all about Will, but the book’s actually about both Will and Marcus. Each chapter alternates between their POVs in third person. It was really interesting to see the same situation, in many cases, from a different perspective, especially one of a selfish, self-centered adult and one of a lost and lonely twelve-year-old boy.

I’m not sure how I feel about Will. I hated him in the beginning and while he did change by the end, I’m not sure he changed enough. He still seemed to have the same attitude of not really caring about the world around him. He even said he still didn’t want to get involved in the problems around him, but because he cared about the people now, he couldn’t help it. Maybe that’s how it is for a lot of people. And, maybe the fact that he does get involved shows that he changed. It’s definitely something to think about.

I liked Marcus a lot. I felt bad for him. He had so many problems to deal with and as a twelve-year-old boy, I think he handled the situations the best he knew how. It was fun to see him grow, change, and become more confident in himself. It was also good to see him become his own person rather than a product of his eccentric mother and basically absent father.

The story, moral, and writing were interesting. I enjoyed the book. Despite it not being a page-turner, I still wanted to know how everything would turn out.

,

Speak

SpeakTitle: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Pages: 202
Reason Read: Reading Challenge
Rating:

My Thoughts

SPEAK was a very hard emotional read. It was a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like sexual assault, bullying, trauma, depression, and pure pressure. The story’s sad but hopeful. At times, it was difficult to keep reading. Even though my heart hurts, it was worth the pain and sorrow.

I thought Anderson did a great job illustrating how sexual assault affects victims. The scene in question was described in the way Melinda, the MC, remembered it, which was utter confusion and extreme pain. I thought that the way the reader comes to realize what happened to Melinda was done really well. Until she was ready to remember the event, the reader only knew that something terrible happened to her and gets to experience the journey of self-awareness with her.

I loved that the story wasn’t completely resolved at the end. It felt more realistic that way. Healing for Melinda has started, but she has a long road to traverse. As I said above, it was sad but hopeful.

I thought SPEAK was extremely powerful. It was definitely one of the most influential books I’ve ever read. I can barely begin to describe all the emotions I felt while reading it. I cried when Melinda finally realized she could overcome her depression and sadness caused by her trauma. I laughed at many of the descriptions used to describe high school because they were so accurate (at least from my POV).  I was angry every time Melinda’s assailant tried to quiet her by taunting her, making her afraid to go to school, and causing her to remember what he did to her over and over again. I was also proud when Melinda finally stood up to him and he got what he deserved.

To be completely honest, I wish this book would’ve been available when I was 14 and going through some of the same things she went through. I think it would’ve helped me work through my trauma at a younger age. I think I would’ve realized that even though I felt irreparable like she did, I could heal and become a much stronger person by facing my fears and confronting my demons.

I also loved that Anderson showed how hard I thought it was to stumble through high school and hope to graduate unscathed. I was amazed at how accurate she portrayed my own feelings of growing up. I think every teenage girl should read this so they understand how staying silent can / will diminish them, and that while speaking up is much harder, it’s also healthier. And, hopefully, it’ll help them realize the strength they have to face adversity and heartache.