#megreviews

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto

In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.

Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.

Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And, meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders' return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love's incredible power to save or to destroy. Throughout is interspersed the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider Queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister's hands.

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

An empire was built by the Phoenix Riders – legendary warriors who soared through the sky on the backs of fiery phoenixes, until a war for the throne between two sisters tore the empire apart. Sixteen years later, Veronyka and Val dream of becoming phoenix riders. However, an act of betrayal from Val means Veronyka sets out on her own and when she finally finds somewhere she thinks she belongs, until her sister comes along and changes everything.

‘What did the great heroes do when the sun fell from the sky? They leapt onto those wild flames and learned how to fly.’

Crown of Feathers is a lush and vivid fantasy with intricate storytelling and a richly woven world with a superbly thought-out history. Crown of Feathers is perfect for fans of epic fantasies full of intrigue, history, nuance, and magical and mythical creatures. It is a slow paced book, but I enjoyed every page of it. It is a book about sisterhood, fighting injustice, warrior women, and about how love can either protect or destroy.

I really love a well developed sibling relationship and Crown of Feathers really delivers in this aspect. The relationship between Val and Veronyka was a really intense and interesting one. It was built on protection and dependence but it morphed into something much darker – control and cruelty. I loved how the book explored the contrast between the sisters, and I loved how their relationship played out, and I especially loved the twist at the end.

“It’s just your sister’s nature,” her grandmother used to say whenever Val would be cruel or controlling. “She’s like fire – she devours.” … “What am I like, Maiora?” Veronyka would ask.“You’re like fire too – you light the way.”

What I also loved was the secondary story that was also woven through the original one. The story of the two previous warring sisters, Pheronia and Avalkyra who tore the empire apart. I also really adored the little snippets of the world’s history that were scattered throughout the book.

Crown of Feathers has an incredibly strong plot and world-building, but it also has some really great characters and character development. It has three different POVs. Veronyka, an animage who has to disguise herself as a boy in order to be eligible to be a phoenix rider. Tristian, an animage and phoenix rider who is also the commanders son. And Sev, a secret animage but he’s also a soldier for the empire that are intending to wipe out the phoenix riders. My favourite character was Veronyka as I absolutely adored her compassion and how determined she was.

Also, the fact that this book also has a bunch of brilliant fiery PHOENIXES should make you want to pick this up immediately .

Overall, Crown of Feathers is an incredibly strong and immersive debut from Nicki Pau Preto and I will definitely be keeping an eye on the next book in the series, and her future books.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered—and that the killer is someone close to her. Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Princess Hesina’s father dies, she is suddenly thrust into power. She is now the ruler of an unstable country, nearly at war with its neighbouring country, full of political corruption, and a country that has outlawed and oppressed soothsayers, magic users, for centuries. While others think her father died of natural causes, Hesina believes he was murdered. A trial ensues but her entire court is filled with deceivers and those using her father’s death for political gain. In order to find out the truth, Hesina commits a treasonous act, punishable by death – she enlists the help of a soothsayer.

Descendant of the Crane is a Chinese-inspired fantasy that is by far one my favourite reads so far of 2019 – and will probably stay as one of my favourite books, especially fantasy, of all time. If I could, this would get far more than five stars from me. It has everything you would want in a fantasy – an immersive and descriptive world, a thrilling court of politics, lots of betrayal and deception, and intense mystery, a masterfully crafted story, and a brilliantly complex and flawed protagonist.

It is a slow-paced book, which doesn’t always work for me but Joan He managed to create such a turbulent atmosphere where one wrong move by our characters could have drastic consequences which made this a thrilling and suspenseful read.

What I loved most about this is that finally, we have a ruler that really understands power and rule. Hesina also truly grapples with what it really means to be a good ruler too. Placate the majority and continue with the status quo in order to protect your own rule or commit to change and progress and challenge that oppression and hatred despite the consequences? She questions everything she does and, frankly, it is refreshing.

“What is power? Hesina had thought it was wielding the knife, or getting someone to wield it for her. Now she realized it was neither of those things. Power was yielding. It was taking the bloodstained knife out of a thousand frenzied hands and making it her alone.”

The political intrigue in this book is masterfully done. I adore books that feature political intrique, it is a surefire way to make me love a book. I loved how Hesina handled the politics, the deception, and the dangers of court. It was truly invigorating and kept me fully invested despite the slow pace. Descendant of the Crane featured so many twists and turns, morally ambiguous characters, betrayal and deception, and so much conflict. You think she’s done with the reveals and THEN YOU READ THE EPILOGUE. shit.

Hesina is right up there with some of my all-time favourite characters. She is a brilliantly complex and flawed character. She is a ruler but also an oppressor. She makes hard and sometimes wrong decisions that tend to have disastrous consequences. While she wants to change her country for the better, she fears her own people’s resistance to change – she feeds their hatred and prejudice because she is scared to confront them and their prejudice. I loved watching her learn and grow throughout the book.

Also, the romance is so lovely.

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur. Now I’m done hiding. My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start. When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind. No pressure.

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When Ari pulls Excalibur from an old tree on Old Earth, she starts a cycle that has been repeating for centuries. She is deemed to be the 42nd reincarnation of the legendary King Arthur. Merlin, who has been ageing backwards and has only one cycle left, needs to train Ari up so she is ready to lead humanity against its greatest threat. But, Arthur’s reincarnations always end up repeating the same doomed cycle – pull Excalibur, fall in love with Guinevere-only to end up broken-hearted- and then killed by the enchantress Morgana. Ari is different, and in her, Merlin sees a chance to finally put the cycle to rest.

‘”That’s what resistance looks like, Merlin. It’s not one glorious, shining victory. It’s a torch that you keep burning, no matter what.”‘

I’ve been looking forward to reading Once & Future since it was announced. I’ve been wanting a queer Arthurian retelling for so long and Once & Future really delivered. It had an f/f romance and an m/m romance too, it also featured a disabled side character, an ace side character, and a non-binary side character and plenty of characters of colour too!

At the heart of the story, Once & Future is about fighting oppression and injustice. About fighting for the little guy against the big bad corporation, and about what happens when good people do nothing but also about what happens when good people actually do something.

Once & Future is sort of a mash-up of different genres, it has fantasy elements, science fiction elements, and comedic elements and for the most part, it does work. I enjoyed the more medieval aspect of Lionel mixed in with the science fiction aspects of space stations and intergalactic politics. Cori McCarthy and Amy Rose Capetta manage to take a well-known legend and create it into something really original.

Some of the characters were the highlight of the book. I loved both Merlin and Ari, our main protagonists. I really loved Morgana and Gwen and I loved the complexity of their characters.

One of the reasons this isn’t getting five stars from me is because the group dynamics weren’t always as fleshed out as they could have been and sometimes I found it hard to really care about their friendship. The pacing also felt a little rushed at times and revelations and twists were not always well placed, and sort of thrown in your face a little bit, Once & Future is probably a book that could have done with being longer and a little more fleshed out in general.

Overall, Once & Future is a good science fiction novel that is diverse and inclusive and is a book that I would highly recommend & I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. 

Proud by Various Authors

A stirring, bold and moving anthology of stories and poetry by top LGBTQ+ YA authors and new talent, giving their unique responses to the broad theme of pride. Each story has an illustration by an artist identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Compiled by Juno Dawson, author of THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN. A celebration of LGBTQ+ talent, PROUD is a thought-provoking, funny, emotional read. Contributors: Steve Antony, Dean Atta, Kate Alizadeh, Fox Benwell, Alex Bertie, Caroline Bird, Fatti Burke, Tanya Byrne, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Frank Duffy, Simon James Green, Leo Greenfield, Saffa Khan, Karen Lawler, David Levithan, Priyanka Meenakshi, Alice Oseman, Michael Lee Richardson, David Roberts, Cynthia So, Kay Staples, Jessica Vallance, Kristen Van Dam and Kameron White.

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Two years ago I read a brilliant anthology called A Change is Gonna Come, published by Stripes Publishing and I adored it – it shone a spotlight on some much-needed voices and stories in UKYA. Proud does the same thing as it is full of stories from LGBTQIAP+ authors that fill a void in UKYA (don’t get me wrong, there is some great queer UKYA, but we need so much more!) This anthology is full of so many exquisite stories (and some great illustrations), some fun and loud, but some are tender and quiet. Stories filled with happiness, sadness, grief, romance, triumph, love, and loss. Stories filled with self-acceptance and self-love but also filled to the brim with stories of queer teens surrounded by love. It isn’t a perfect anthology, for example, there were no aro-ace stories BUT it hopefully paves the way for more queer stories in mainstream UKYA. ‘We, as LGBTQ+ authors, know how important it is to see ourselves in stories. If we live inUntitled stories, it means we live in the real world too. We are claiming our space, claiming our oxygen. Since the dawn of time, we have been told in a litany of ways that we are ‘less-than’, ‘out of the ordinary’, ‘abnormal’, ‘subnormal’, or plain ‘different’. We are none of those things. We are gloriously ourselves, and we show the world our glory during Pride. That is why Pride is both party and protest. It’s noisy, it’s colourful, it’s glittery and it’s very, very visible. It’s a statement to the whole wide world that we are here; we celebrate our varied and diverse culture; our history; our struggles.’ - Juno Dawson Proud has 12 different stories from 12 different authors. Stories featuring transgender characters, gay characters, bi characters, lesbian characters, non-binary characters, and it is just so very queer. The problem I have with anthologies sometimes is that some stories are great, and some are just meh. But Proud consistently wowed me with each story (apart from maybe one or two), and it has so many great new voices that I will definitely be keeping an eye on. I’m now going to write a little bit about each story: Dive Bar by Caroline Bird – I’m not going to rate this one because I just didn’t get it. Sometimes I love poetry, and sometimes, I really struggle with it. A definite, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ type of thing. Penguins by Simon James Green – 4/5 – I really enjoyed Penguins. It was such a cute, funny, and heartwarming story about the struggles of coming out – of finding the right time. At times, this story was downright hilarious and at other times, it was super cute and heartwarming. Also features an m/m romance. On the Run by Kay Staples – 5/5 – I really enjoyed this one. A quiet, warm, and tender story about two teens who have won the lottery and have run away from home, one escaping an abusive family and one following the guy they love. It has working-class characters, a non-binary teen, and a lovely nb/m romance. The Phoenix Fault by Cynthia So – 4/5 – a lovely little fantasy story about two girls realising they love each other. As the Philadelphia Queer Youth Choir Sings Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’… by David Levithan – Also, not my cup of tea, I just wasn’t really a fan of the narrative style! Almost Certain by Tanya Bryne – 5/5- I really resonated with this one, it is a sad and tender story about anxiety and grief and art. A lovely little f/f romance and I really loved how anxiety was described in this. The Other Team by Michael Lee Richardson – 4/5 – a really good story about a trans boy and the discrimination and misgendering he faces, but also about the support and love he receives from his football team. I Hate Darcy Pemberley by Karen Lawler – 5/5 – literally, give me all the enemies-to-lovers f/f romances. It’s an f/f Pride and Prejudice retelling, it was funny, entertaining, and heartwarming. I also really loved the little illustration at the end by Kameron White. The Courage of Dragons by Fox Benwell – 5/5 – I loved this geeky story about a non-binary teen and their friends (also their d&d group!) going on a quest to make their school gender neutral. The Instructor by Jess Vallance – 5/5 – This was a lovely, vibrant, funny, and heartwarming story about a girl who learns to drive in order to impress her crush. Love Poems to the City by Moïra Fowley-Doyle – 5/5 – I adored this one. A beautiful story about a bisexual girl in Ireland fighting for marriage equality. Also has an f/f romance! How to Come Out as Gay by Dean Atta – 5/5 – just a simply supportive and beautiful poem about coming out. Overall, Proud is an emotional, empowering, powerful, and important anthology full of vibrant voices that need to be on everyone’s bookshelves.

Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan

Rating: ★★★★★ | book depository | Wednesday Books

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Kalyazin and Tranavia are two neighbouring countries who have been a part of a centuries-long holy war. Nadya is a Kalyazi cleric and she can commune with the gods and, if they choose to, they can grant her magic. Serefin is a Tranavian Prince and a blood mage, who are deemed to be heretics in the eyes of Kalyazin. Malachiasz is a mystery – he’s a Tranavian defector, and a blood mage, whose motives and true allegiances are unknown. Together, they must come together to kill a king and to stop the war once and for all.

Wicked Saints has been a highly anticipated release of mine for quite some time. It first came to my attention when described as a Gothic Joan of Arc, and it sounded like my cup of tea, and I just loved the whole feel and aesthetic of the book. It is a dark and gritty book that will appeal to those readers who like their fantasy bloody. I went into Wicked Saints seeing continuously mixed and average reviews and yet I still came out of this one completely and utterly in love and impatiently waiting for the sequel… a whole YEAR away. Wicked Saints has also been constantly compared to the Grisha trilogy, especially regarding the Slavic inspiration, but I can’t comment on this because I personally haven’t ever read that series (but my co-blogger Lauren has!).

I do want to give some trigger warnings: self-harm, blood, gore, violence, abuse.

Wicked Saints focuses mainly on war and religion and it is the religious themes throughout that really sets it apart from a lot of other YA fantasies. Kalyazin is a highly religious country. A country that the gods favour, and choose ‘clerics’ that can commune with them and that they can bestow gifts upon. Kalyazin went to war with Tranavia due to their ‘heresy’ and their use of blood magic – power that the gods haven’t gifted so both the gods and Kalyazin see this as an affront to the Gods and their power. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and how intricately it was woven into the story. It discusses heresy, divinity, and godhood and what actually makes a god? I also enjoyed the discussion into war and how it isn’t always a black & white or bad vs good situation and I especially loved the blood magic vs divine magic aspect as well.

The magic was also an aspect I enjoyed and how it is linked with the religious aspect. I enjoyed the subtle subversion of the ‘chosen one’ trope too. Nadya has been gifted with the ability to commune with the gods and when she prays to a certain god, they can choose to ‘gift’ her their power. I loved the twists and revelations that Nadya comes across concerning her own magic. I’ve seen a few people complain that Nadya is reduced to a love interest when Malachiasz is introduced, and in turn, becomes a one-dimensional character, but I never saw that? I enjoyed Nadya’s progression throughout the book, how she comes to see Tranavians as not just the enemy, how she questions the gods, goes against their wishes at times, and her relationship with them and her magic is interesting and one of my favourite parts of the book.

I wasn’t particularly fond of the romance between Nadya and Malachiasz, and I definitely don’t ‘ship’ it BUT I actually enjoyed their dynamic and definitely appreciated the complexity of the relationship between the two.

The characters are just so interesting and complex. I've already talked about Nadya a bit already, but she was one of my favourites. She is determined but also so self-righteous, she's passionate and intelligent but also naive at times. She is headstrong and stubborn, but not always curious or open-minded enough. She is just a really well-rounded and flawed character and I really loved that.  Serefin is also a great character and gives you an insight into the other side of the war and gives a different opinion than Nadya's, a great balance. He's powerful but also scared, he's been part of the war for so long, he no longer knows how to be a Prince. Malachiasz is a complicated character, he's a mystery, even more so now I've finished the book which I love!

Wicked Saints is a book full of morally ambiguous characters, each thinking they are doing what is right for themselves and their own respective countries and will betray and lie, and be as ruthless and manipulative as they need to be to get what they want and that is the exact type of characters I love in a fantasy.

Wicked Saints is a carefully crafted, neatly woven, and masterfully plotted fantasy that really should be gracing everyone’s shelves.

P.S. Enjoy this mood board I made!

The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown

Sydney's dad is the only psychiatrist for miles around their small Ohio town.

He is also unexpectedly dead.

Is Sydney crazy, or is it kind of weird that her dad - a guy whose entire job revolved around other peoples' secrets - crashed alone, with no explanation?

And why is June Copeland, homecoming queen and the town's golden child, at his funeral?

As the two teenagers grow closer in the wake of the accident, it's clear that not everyone is happy about their new friendship.

But what is picture perfect June still hiding? And does Sydney even want to know?

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Sydney’s dad is a psychiatrist, and he’s also suddenly dead. Everyone around her keeps telling her it was just an accident.Sydney believes that there is more to it than that – he was a man that knew everyone’s secrets, so isn’t it weird that he crashed alone with no explanation? Then Sydney starts getting these creepy and mysterious texts, and it all seems linked to her dad. Is she seeing connections that aren’t really there, or is there really something more sinister going on? I’ve been really excited about The Truth About Keeping Secretsfor a while now, especially after hearing it was a queer mystery/thriller. I’m not going to lie, I struggled with it a little at first, it was very character driven and almost nothing happened, which is why I dropped a star and it is definitely a slow paced book that focuses more on characters and their relationships. But, I did really grow to love it and the main protagonist, Sydney. Sydney is a brilliant, albeit a little disturbed, character. After her father died, she has this acute fear of death and she kind of has this morbid fascination with it. She’s struggling with how to cope with her father’s death and what it all means in the grand scheme of things. She feels guilty for living while he doesn’t. She’s angry, confused, and scared about the world around her. The Truth About Keeping Secrets is less about the mystery and more about character study. The Truth About Keeping Secrets mainly explores the many facets of grief and how some coping mechanisms aren’t always healthy. I think it did it really well. Grief isn’t the only topic it explores as it does highlight some other really important and difficult topics too such as abusive relationships. I do want to give some trigger warningsthough for anxiety, PTSD, depression, self-harm, suicide, death, homophobia, forced coming-out, and sexual and emotional abuse. Another prominent aspect of The Truth About Keeping Secretsis the relationship between Sydney and Jude, who is a girl that comes into Sydney’s life after her father’s death. Jude is a mystery, and their relationship is complicated but also really great. It is a romantic relationship but it did explore the unrequited crush thing really well. The Truth About Keeping Secrets is an atmospheric, addictive, intense, and emotional book with a large focus on characters but also with a slow burn mystery, and a book that I would highly recommend.

Enchantée by Gita Trelease

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians... When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible. But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she's playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…

Disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

When Camille’s parents died from smallpox, she must find a way to provide for her sick and naive sister while trying to escape her volatile brother. The only way Camille knows how is magic – la magie ordinaire – which feeds off her sorrow. She changes scraps of metals into coins to buy the food and medicine they need. When Camille can’t sustain the coins and her brother runs off with all their savings, Camille must find another way to pay the rent. She sets her sights on the Palace of Versaille and the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette – a dangerous place full of secrets and cheaters, Camille must tread carefully or lose everything.

Enchantée is a magical and mesmerising read full of glamour, romance, and danger. I absolutely adored Enchantée, and I absolutely adored the atmosphere and setting. Camille starts to play in the Palace of Versaille, using her la magie ordinaire to change cards in her favour and using glamoire to pretend to be someone she isn’t, the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’. She wins big, enough to move to a nicer apartment, enough for food and clothes, enough to put a deposit on a shop so her sister can make her popular hats for the aristocracy. Yet, Camille can’t stop. Her father used to print leaflets criticising the aristocracy, their wealth, and their disregard for the poor. Yet, for Camille, the court is thrilling and intoxicating and while she doesn’t quite belong among the aristocracy, she can’t help but want to keep what she has gained through both glamoire and la magie ordinaire. I loved this contrast into Camille’s two different lives that she was leading and the discussions into poverty, and I loved how we saw the revolution brewing in the background.

Camille was a character that I adored and I loved the complexity of her and her decisions she made. I loved how at the beginning she just wanted enough – enough to get by, but throughout the novel, she started to want more and more and I just really enjoyed the fact that she wasn’t perfect. I really loved the sisterly relationship, it was filled with tension but also love and I appreciated and adored it.

The romance was lovely and one of my favourite parts of the book. I can’t speak for the representation but Lazare, Camille’s love interest, was biracial (Indian and French), and he was also an aristocrat.

Enchantée is a magical, enchanting, and thrilling book full of high stakes, courtly politics, revolution, and danger. Gita Trelease is definitely an author I will keep my eye on!

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith. But it's not true. I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day. Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . .

Disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

That’s Not What Happened opens up with Leanne (Lee) three years after a school shooting, discussing how the story people know, wasn’t actually what happened. It is a book that discusses how the truth gets lost in all the commotion, through all the media attention. It gets‘twisted, tweaked, filtered through a dozen different lenses’. I appreciated the approach to how we view massacres like the one featured in this book. In That’s Not What Happened, Lee is determined to get the truth out there, and to correct the rumours that circulated after the shooting that turned into a massive story about a girl with a cross, and faith and bravery and how she was turned into a martyr, especially by the local community. However, the story is about the wrong girl, and Lee is trying to get the truth out. That’s Not What Happened is a complex and nuanced book that attempts to deal with a sensitive topic. 

The characters were a highlight of this book. They were layered and complex. Lee – who is also asexual – is a great character. Her determination for the truth and her desire to set the record straight is admirable, and yet, sometimes the truth does do more harm than good. It also focuses on the trauma that events like school shootings cause and how people cope with that trauma differently. I appreciated the bond that the survivors had with each other – they had a really great dynamic. It also features a side lesbian character (Eden), and a black blind character (Denny) too.

That’s Not What Happened is a good book that shows that in the aftermath of a shooting, sometimes a victims voice is stripped away-their story is told for them. It is a book about having a voice. It is a fast-paced, engaging, and a powerful book.

I would definitely recommend for fans of This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp.

Rating: ★★★★☆