REVIEW: Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.

Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird. She travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, Leigh is determined to find her mother, the bird. 

In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.

This is truly an elegantly poignant read filled with just as much realistic emotion as it is magical realism.  Readers are in for a real treat with Pan's debut novel.  Having myself recently experienced grief upon losing multiple loved ones, I found this narrative not only mesmerizing as well as haunting but also cathartic and hopeful. Perhaps this final quote sums up the novel's prose and experience best:

What is memory? It's not something you can physically hold, or see, or taste. It's just nerve impulses jumping between neurons. Sometimes it's a matter of choice. Other times it's self-preservation, or protection [...] Because the purpose of memory, I would argue, is to remind us how to live" (p. 464).

This is a beautiful book. Have your tissues handy.

REVIEW: Glimpse by Jonathan Maberry

*Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Expected publication: March 27, 2018

Publisher's Summary:
Rain is a young woman trying to rebuild herself after years of drug addiction and abuse. Ten years ago, at age sixteen, she gave up her baby after the father, her first love, dies in Iraq. Now, three years clean and on the way to a job interview, Rain borrows a pair of reading glasses from an old lady on a Brooklyn train. The lenses are cracked and through the crack she catches a glimpse of a little boy running and screaming. The boy looks so much like Rain’s dead lover. Like their son must look now. 

Rain realizes that the glasses give her quick glimpses of her lost son, Dylan, who needs her to find him. Dylan is important to our damaged, hopeless world. But he’s in terrible trouble because evil creatures - the Shadow People - are trying to corrupt and destroy him. If Dylan dies, then hope dies. 

__________________________________

Where should I start?  I was hooked from the first word.  Rain's is a compelling story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire read.  This novel has on the components of a chilling yet fascinating read. Rain is a dynamic character whose vulnerabilities make her intriguing and reader's can't help but be entranced by her journey. Maberry does what he does best, write with purpose that is both satisfying for those wanting creative, well developed characterization, action, an interesting plot and enough creepy horror elements to have you sleeping with the lights on and checking all nooks and crannies for any number of evil creatures!

I read in chunks and with the lights on to savor the experience and soothe my overactive imagination.  Maberry remains one of my absolute favorite authors. I devour everything he publishes and pine until I have another fix!

Final rating: ALL THE STARS!!!!!!

REVIEW: Slammed (1-3) by Colleen Hoover

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old high school senior Layken travels from Texas to Michigan with her mother and younger brother.  Grieving the loss of her parent and life as she knew it, things unexpectedly look up with she meets charming and attractive neighbor Will Cooper, who has a passion for slam poetry. Within days of their introduction, they've formed a real connection, giving Layken a new lease on life until a startling revelation slams them both back to reality.

Slammed is told entirely from Layken's POV and explores her feelings at dealing with all the challenges life throws at her from the loss of her father, her complicated relationship with Will, as well as the secret news leveled at her by her mother that will leave her wrecked beyond belief.

This is very much a coming of age novel with a strong emphasis on negotiating responsibility and relationships.  While characteristic of Hoover's writing angst ridden, complicated characters, I could certainly tell this was her debut novel.  The style, structure and word choice lacks the sophistication which she's developed over the past few years.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Told from Will's POV, Point of Retreat is a continuation of Slammed.  The couple have weathered the storm surrounding the unfortunate beginning of their relationship, extreme personal responsibilities and unspeakable loss. When someone from Will's past re-emerges, the core of their relationship is tested.

Honestly, for me, the majority of this book is about Layken being stupid and blowing circumstances completely out of proportion to the point that I wanted Will to 'retreat' and run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Once Will and Layken get their ducks in a row, readers experience the expected "You've Got to Be Kidding" moment which puts multiple characters in peril but pushes the narrative through to the happily ever after.

I am still a bigger fan of Will and other secondary characters than the female protagonist who is sometimes just 'butterflying' obnoxious.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

In this final book, Will and Layken have managed to work out their issues and have gotten married.  During their honeymoon, she asks Will to recount important moments of his life before he met her as well as key instances of their relationship from his POV.

There are a few surprising confessions on Will's part, mostly serving the purpose to rile Layken up so she acts like a brat, giving this narrative some drama so that the characters can fight, talk and make up.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed the trilogy but these books aren't my favorite examples of Hoover's writing.  She's come light-years as a writing in just over 4 years with respect to honing her craft and style. She's tightened her structure and vocabulary to omit a lot of the repetitiveness which I disliked about the Slammed series.

Follow the author on Twitter: @colleenhoover



#slammed #newadult #grief #relationships #responsibility #romance

REVIEW: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

BFFs Meg and Cody were inseparable until they weren't.  Cody feels understandable blindsided following the tragic suicide of her best friend.  How was there no warning?  At the behest of Meg's family, Cody travels to claim Meg's belongings, learning some surprising facts that her friend never told her.

Even more questions shroud Cody's grief, especially when she unlocks Meg's encrypted laptop. Who are these unlikely friends of Meg's? Who is this devastatingly handsome musician Ben McAllister responsible for breaking her friend's heart? And what really happened to make Meg take her own life?

I remain a big fan of Forman's writing style and plots. There is great realism which makes this narrative and others accessible not only for teen readers but for others as well. Life isn't perfect but sometimes tragedy can lead others to discover more about themselves and go on a journey to contemplate where we all fit in the world.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @gayleforman



#gayleforman #iwashere #YALit #teen #realisticfiction #suicide #grief

REVIEW: You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

*Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Expected publication: March 1, 2016

On the anniversary of her older brother's death, Jaycee Strangelove plans to break into Jake's favorite hideout--The Ridges--a former insane asylum on the campus of Ohio University. This yearly excursion usually includes a sighting by Jake's former best friend, Mik, and quite possible Jaycee's 'something more'. Utterly consumed by grief, Jaycee has turned into a daredevil with no plans for the future. 

However, this night reunites her with not only Mik but also three other classmates--Natalie, Zach and Bishop--each with their own dysfunction. When they find a map left detailing Jake's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind, Jaycee vows to complete the dares in his honor. What Jaycee doesn't count on is her 'friends' involvement and their insistence that she delve deep and reveal the parts of herself she's buried with her brother. 

I adored this book and it is probably my favorite of 2016 thus far.  You Were Here is thoughtfully constructed from its multiple POV shifts in storytelling to the incorporation of graphic novel elements. I really loved how this hybrid format enhances the plot and character development. These characters are wholly relatable as well.  Jaycee's transformation in light of her grief and the unraveling of her family and friendships make her relatable to multiple readers as do the anxieties shared by Natalie, Mik, Zach and Bishop.  While this novel is in part about coping with grief and loss, a stronger theme is coming of age and taking responsibility for your own actions. 

You Were Here has mass appeal for a wide audience of readers. There's angst and romance and plenty of adventure. One caution is that I'd recommend this for a more mature teen reader based on language and adult situations. Overall, once I got started, I couldn't put it down.  I felt compelled to share these characters' journeys and was satisfied with the ending but hopeful that McCarthy might one day give us a glimpse into that promised road trip!

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @corimccarthy

#YOUWEREHERE #corimccarthy #realisticfiction #comingofage #gried #dare #romance #forgiveness #friendship #netgalley #YAlit #teen

REVIEW: Falling Away by Jasinda Wilder

*Thank you so much to Jasinda Wilder for an autographed copy of this book via Goodreads!*

Falling Away marks the fourth and final novel in the Falling series.  Fans of the series (me included!) have been waiting not so patiently for Benjamin Dorsey's story after his heartbreak in Falling Under, when Ben's lifelong best friend, Kylie, chose Oz over him.  Ben has been in a downward spiral ever since. Traveling the country, working odd jobs and trying to ease his pain.  Things begin to look up with an opportunity to play football; however, a career ending injury crushes this dream.

Ben finds a kindred spirit in physical therapist, Cheyenne Leveaux. However, their friendship is short lived as tragedy strikes once again. Enter, Echo -- Cheyenne's beautiful, talented, wild, and emotionally devastated daughter. With an instant attraction, Ben and Echo lose themselves, for a time, in desire. Nonetheless, crippled by guilt and secrets, Ben just might lose his chance at happiness unless he pulls himself together, makes amends with those he loves and reconnects with Echo before she self-destructs.

As a reader, what I continue to find profound about this series and Wilder's work in general are the intricacies of character development.  The relationships and surrounding issues are realistic and contemporarily significant. Wilder has a knack for writing great character interactions while introducing and negotiating heart-wrenching themes of depression, grief, heartbreak, substance abuse and suicide. She does so in a way that is thoughtful and lends hope to her characters and readers.

In contrast, Wilder can write 'sexy' to rival some of the biggest names in fiction. Her erotic scenes will make the room seem just that much hotter. So, if you haven't read this series yet, what are you waiting for!?! Go forth and read!

Finished with this series? I also recommend Wilder's other series. Find out more about these on Goodreads. Need more emotional turmoil? Read the Ever Trilogy, Wounded or Captured.
_________________________________________________________________________________

P.S. If you're an audiobook fan, I highly recommend the entire series as a great listen.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @JasindaWilder

#fallingaway #review #romance #grief #goodreadsgiveaways #audiobook