I received the first book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets to the Universe, when it came out (around then, lol?) from my mom. She sent it to my kindle as a book and audio with Lin Manuel Miranda narrating. So yeah, insta love.
Then, years later, I see this on Netgalley and I actually receive an ebook copy... and, really, I just feel like this came to me at the right time. It's these life lessons, this author's way of speaking about love, that make me kind of think this is a good time for this sequel.
I definitely recommend it. It's pretty much every emotion bottled into a coming of age story that began years ago and we are lucky enough to read more of now.
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for this advanced review copy.
After an incident in New York expels her from the theatre world, Cass is ready to reset in LA. A late night drink with a magnetic neighbour gives her an opportunity to become someone else, Cath.
As Cath she gets to be a gentler version of herself, working on a film deemed “a feminist Fight Club for girls.” She uses this new mask to shield and rebuild herself without the baggage of the disaster she’s left behind. Is this her opportunity to get her career back?
Nothing is what it seems and her self-indulgences and self-involvement ultimately leaves her naïve to what is happening on the periphery of her existence. We’re all depressed and broken and fucked up in our own ways.
I think ultimately this is a story of redemption and compassion and I enjoyed it very much.
"Listen with your eyes. Seek out the sound in the darkness..."
✨ 4
What starts off as curious and mysterious, soon melds itself into the suspenseful, psychological-thriller, paranormal-like world of Kit Capriol. At first I didn't know what to make of Kit. There was just something about her that I couldn't quite put my finger on. But as the chapters unfolded, Kit Capriol and the intricacies of her world urged me to keep turning the pages.
Although The Summoning is filled with uncanny coincidences, séances, psychological, and paranormal-like themes, I wouldn't say that this is a horror novel as some others have suggested. At least for me, there was nothing in this book to keep me up listening to the things that go bump in the night. The slow-burn mystery that was unraveling itself though...that was enough to keep me up past bed time. J.P. Smith's writing style took some getting used to, but once settled in, it was hard to put The Summoning down. With short, teasing chapters, it was easy to say "just another chapter".
Where Kit ordered a "double vodka rocks, same as always." I ordered another chapter every night before bed time.
At times things were a little bit all over the place, but I do feel that this was intentional. Faced with overwhelming financial stress, coated with a sticky layer of emotional and mental stress, grief, and all the gritty in-betweens, Kit's headspace is overloaded. With poor coping mechanisms (try alcohol abuse), Kit is generally speaking, an unreliable narrator seemingly spiraling down a path of madness. This in itself can make things a bit all over the place. Yet, there is more than meets the eye here...and whenever I found myself wondering why Kit wasn't thinking about things, or looking into things, that seemed like glaringly obvious red flags, I had to remind myself of these factors. J.P. Smith added an interesting layer to Kit by making her self-aware of her mental health issues. I was a little let down by the ending and without saying to much, I had hoped for an ending with a little more umph. Although I appreciated the coda, it did feel a smidge rushed.
Overall this was an entertaining read. If you're a fan of psychological/mystery/suspense/paranormal reads, I recommend giving The Summoning a try.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily because books are cool!
I went to the Town Bookstore today because I’d gotten a gift card for Christmas. (Thank you grandparents) I got a couple of books that I’ll tell you about later, but that is not what this post is about.
For context, the release date for Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard is May 4th.
I purchased my books and as I was walking out, the lady working there asked if I would be interested in this book. Of course, I said yes. She then gave it to me for free.
I was, understandably, speechless. I’ve read her Red Queen series, adored it, and now I own a copy of each of them. I was aware of this release and was looking forward to it. I’d never received an ARC before. I didn’t even ask for this one. The lady knew I was into YA because I’d previously purchased four YA books.
I am incredibly grateful. I’m going to start reading it today, but I promise I will not spoil anything!!
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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When the BREATHLESS arc makes its way into the world and readers are starting to read it... 😳😬🥰💋❤️ #breathlessnovel #breathless #breathlessbook #arc #bookstagram #mynewbook #ya #lovestory #claudehenry #advancedreaderscopy #jeremiahcrew #itspersonal #writeyourstory https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWs5oUJ223/?igshid=1r4eopiv2hxcc
The Chalice and the Crown is a wonderful, YA fantasy novel for fans of Danielle Jensen's Malediction Trilogy and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. While the method of transportation to the City of Roses is similar to Carroll's Alice—that is where the similarities end.
Sasha is a young, Russian prima ballerina. Like many ballerinas, she is obsessed with perfecting her craft and because of this her health suffers. Like her mother before her, she is plagued by nightmares of a distant land where she is a thrall or slave to a rich family. Dreams and reality merge when Sasha's soul is ripped from her and transported to the thrall's body. She must use her wits and her friends to find a way to escape and return home. Along the way she finds love and friendship while trying to change the history of slavery in the kingdom.
Flamouri's debut novel (she had previously had a few short story anthologies) is well written and the pacing keeps you engaged throughout the book. She has interwoven bits of Russian culture without going over the top. For example, the pet name "kotik" or little kitten that grandma Nadia calls Sasha. Or the traditional Russian lullaby, "Bayu Bayushki", which is prevalent throughout Sasha's story as a coping mechanism for the young heroine. The only thing that would really tip you off is Sasha doesn't have a patronymic but instead has a patronymic surname (Nikolayeva means of Nikolai) which happens with first generation Russian-Americans.
Overall 4 stars for The Chalice and the Crown. I was very pleased with how The Chalice and the Crown concluded. This is a standalone YA which was very refreshing and Flamouri did a fantastic job tying up loose ends. The romance was sweet but not the focal point. There are a number of dark themes but the author does a great job cautioning any readers who may see these as a potential trigger.
I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
