The Ghosts We Keep - Mason Deaver (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 30/05/2021

Author: Mason Deaver

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Source: Edelweiss+

Rating: 5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Hear Our Voices Book Tours)

About the book:

Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli, this book will rip your heart out before showing you how to heal from tragedy and celebrate life in the process.

When Liam Cooper's older brother Ethan is killed in a hit-and-run, Liam has to not only learn to face the world without one of the people he loved the most, but also face the fading relationship with their two best friends.

Feeling more alone and isolated than ever, Liam finds themself sharing time with Marcus, Ethan's best friend, and through Marcus, Liam finds the one person that seems to know exactly what they're going through, for the better and the worse.

This book is about grief. But it's also about why we live. Why we have to keep moving on, and why we should.

Review:

        After reading 'I Wish You All the Best', I was as anxious as the author about this latest release. Will this live up to the fame garnered by the first one or become a disappointment? Well, I found mixed reviews on this, but for me, this was even better than the former work.

        There is no plot as such to speak of. This is more or less a record of how Liam and their family cope with the grief of losing the eldest son of the family. A word of warning, Liam is not an easy character to like. As the book asserts, grief can always make you do complicated, messy and ugly things and considering Liam's age, it does create a lot of complications. They lash against the parents, withdraw from friends and practically shuts the whole world off and drowns in grief. I won't blame them.

            Part of this reaction comes from a feeling of guilt, thinking of the time lost and gone forever. Along with that comes the burden of the only son left now, the one who needs to take the vacant position of the family's golden son. They don't have anyone to turn to, neither can they acknowledge that they need professional help.

        Yes, it's a total mess. As expected of Mason Deaver, the words are honest and raw and each page adds another spear to your heart. There are no miracles or surprises, but the book delivers what is intended just like a teacher who doesn't have to raise his voice to keep the class in control. I was glad it didn't pursue Marcus' point of view. That would have broken me completely.

Favourite quotes:

"I didn't know how I was feeling; I couldn't feel anything except numbness. Simple, reliable concepts like time moving forward, or even the space around me, didn't feel real. It felt more like a dream that I'd wake up from soon"

"Because grief is a complicated, ugly, messy thing. And it makes you do complicated, ugly, messy things"

"Sometimes poetry is more about the feeling the words give you, the emotion, the placement, and not necessarily the words themselves"

"What I wanted was to disappear. To blink out of existence, to be forgotten by everyone who ever knew me. I didn't want to be here anymore, to have to think, to have to feel. What was the point anyway? The older I got, the more people would vanish"

"I'd still love him, whether he was here or not. Because he'd always be here with me, no matter what happened. He was a ghost I'd keep with me for the rest of my life"

Meet the author:

Born and raised in a small North Carolina town, Mason Deaver is an award-nominated, bestselling author and designer living in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Besides writing, they’re an active fan of horror movies and video games. As you can see from the photo above, they’re a big fan of plants as well.

Misfit in Love - S. K. Ali (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 22/05/2021

Author: S. K. Ali

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: May 25, 2021

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 3/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Hear Our Voices Book Tours)

About the book:

In this fun and fresh sequel to Saints and Misfits, Janna hopes her brother’s wedding will be the perfect start to her own summer of love, but attractive new arrivals have her more confused than ever.

Janna Yusuf is so excited for the weekend: her brother Muhammad’s getting married, and she’s reuniting with her mom, whom she’s missed the whole summer.

And Nuah’s arriving for the weekend too.

Sweet, constant Nuah.

The last time she saw him, Janna wasn’t ready to reciprocate his feelings for her. But things are different now. She’s finished high school, ready for college…and ready for Nuah.

It’s time for Janna’s (carefully planned) summer of love to begin—starting right at the wedding.

But it wouldn’t be a wedding if everything went according to plan. Muhammad’s party choices aren’t in line with his fiancée’s taste at all, Janna’s dad is acting strange, and her mom is spending more time with an old friend (and maybe love interest?) than Janna.

And Nuah’s treating her differently.

Just when things couldn’t get more complicated, two newcomers—the dreamy Haytham and brooding Layth—have Janna more confused than ever about what her misfit heart really wants.

Janna’s summer of love is turning out to be super crowded and painfully unpredictable.

Review:

        "Misfit in Love" is a companion novel to "Saints and Misfits" one of the most popular works of S. K. Ali. Since many advocated it as a standalone, I went blindly without even checking what happened in the first book. Well, surely you can read it as a standalone, but not knowing Janna's back story clearly puts you at a disadvantage.

        It took me half of the pages to warm up to her character. Even with all her grand ideas of studying British lit to deconstruct it, I felt she is just a regular love struck teenager who cannot make any sense of the undercurrents in her own family. In a way, that is true. But what makes her different is the way she comes in terms with the realities around her, determined to be the liberal minded being she always preaches of. 

        A girl who is hard on herself having the courage to analyse her own actions must surely be applauded. A braver man would have floundered in a similar situation. It does make you look at weddings in a different light. No doubt they are scary with all the family drama getting unravelled, but it could be an occasion for a happy beginning too. And I do love the way the love story proceeded. It is not always I get to be right about the suitor among all the misdirections.

Favourite quotes:

"Books are tidy and contained and bring closure. Sometimes not full closure, but there's an arriving at a destination that's perfect." - 25

"When you see the world as divided, when you're prejudiced, it's not about expanding hearts -- it's about shrinking your capacity to love." - 176

"It seems people show their prejudiced hand when family lines get crossed." - 225

"But I've just realised that people cry at weddings, yes, because of happiness, but also because they represent a life change . . . " - 237

Meet the author:

S. K. Ali is the author of Saints and Misfits, winner of the 2018 APALA Honor award, the 2017 Middle East Book Honor Award, and a 2018 William C. Morris Award finalist. Her second novel, LOVE FROM A TO Z, a story about finding love in the time of Islamophobia, was an Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Young Adult Book of 2019. She also has a picture book co-authored with Team USA Olympic Medalist, Ibtihaj Muhammad, THE PROUDEST BLUE, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list.

Lady August - Becky Michaels (Review)

Date of Reading: 13/05/2021

Author: Becky Michaels

Publisher: Mildred Press

Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Source: BookSirens

Rating: 3.5/5

About the book:

August Summer thinks she is a nobody until a London solicitor barges into her employer’s drawing-room, revealing not only is she the daughter of an earl but a wealthy heiress as well. Optimistic about a new life, she travels to her ancestral home of Linfield Hall, only for her brother to banish her to London to live with her aunt, a dowager duchess with a reputation.

When Lord Bolton asks him to fetch his illegitimate daughter, solicitor Samuel Brooks does not expect himself to become so invested in the young woman’s debut after wanting nothing to do with dinners and balls before. But as August navigates her way through this new world of the British aristocracy, Brooks is the one who is most dazzled by her unexpected charms.

Since society demands every young girl must marry, August decides she will accept nothing less than someone’s heart in exchange for possession of her newfound fortune. Forced to reexamine his negative views of love and marriage or lose August forever, Brooks soon realizes his heart is the only thing in danger of becoming possessed.

Review:

        I don't know why I hesitated to read this book sooner. Not the time, I guess. As you can see from the blurb, this is a dreamy rag to riches regency romance filled with humour, a bit of adventure and some rare rave characters.

        Is there anyone who hasn't dreamed of a secret inheritance that takes you out of this dreary life? Well, for August Summer, our practical defiant heroine who never wasted her time on dreaming, this had become a reality. Within a day, the orphan girl is surprised with the knowledge of a father (an Earl, nonetheless) and a large inheritance he left out of guilt.

        Hmm, money might make matters a lot easy but acceptance by society is another thing. Luckily, our author has created a regency romance with fairly modern characters -- a dowager duchess openly having affairs, a forgiving husband and a solicitor who is not concerned about his future wife's virginity. Yup, I too wondered the same. Is this really the 1800s?

        The historical inaccuracies aside, August's pursuit to secure the love of Samuel Brooks formed the basis of a really cute story. Brooks is a complex character and I would have preferred if the author had allowed a bit more plot development for August to understand the man better. The much anticipated happy ending came way too early.

        Considering the way it concluded I am expecting a continuation of the story of August's sister, Rosamund and the Duke. I have no doubt that all her stories make perfect weekend reads.

Meet the author:

Becky Michaels is a historical romance author and self-proclaimed Anglophile. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in English, she reluctantly decided to get a day job but never stopped writing—or dreaming. THE LAND STEWARD’S DAUGHTER, a Regency romance set in 1815 England, is her debut novel. Despite the cold winters and high rent, she still lives in the Boston area with her boyfriend and cat.

On the Hook - Francisco X. Stork (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 11/05/2021

Author: Francisco X. Stork

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: May 18, 2021

Source: Edelweiss+

Rating: 5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Colored Pages Tours)

About the book:

"You think you’re better than everyone else?

Listen to me, I’m going to kill you.”

Hector has always minded his own business, working hard to make his way to a better life someday. He’s the chess team champion, helps the family with his job at the grocery, and teaches his little sister to shoot hoops overhand.

Until Joey singles him out. Joey, whose older brother, Chavo, is head of the Discípulos gang, tells Hector that he’s going to kill him: maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday. And Hector, frozen with fear, does nothing. From that day forward, Hector’s death is hanging over his head every time he leaves the house. He tries to fade into the shadows – to drop off Joey’s radar – to become no one.

But when a fight between Chavo and Hector’s brother Fili escalates, Hector is left with no choice but to take a stand.

The violent confrontation will take Hector places he never expected, including a reform school where he has to live side-by-side with his enemy, Joey. It’s up to Hector to choose whether he’s going to lose himself to revenge or get back to the hard work of living.

Review:

        Ah! This book . . . it has made me speechless and flabbergasted. Why did I ever sign up for this nerve-racking, utterly realistic, anxiety inducer? And why are my eyes constantly leaking? It is high time I dusted my room. My allergies are getting worse it seems.

        Let's talk about the story then. Hector is your typical smart ass nerdy student who is timid around girls but brutal on a chess board. He is all set for his future academic endeavours which can take him out of that shitty neighbourhood of drug dealers until everything goes down the drain when he is singled out by Joey. He is bullied and threatened to the point that the fear begins to consume him.

        Things begin to take a turn for the worse when his brother Fili is killed by Joey in his fight against Joey's brother, Chavo. Hector temporarily decapacitates Chavo and both of them are sent to a school for correction for six months. A lie could have saved Hector but he has an ulterior motive now: revenge. He needs to kill Joey.

        He could either go on with his life with the insurance money his brother has left or pursue revenge which will ultimately shut him permanently in a federal prison. So what is it to be? The agony had me glued to the kindle the entire time, sharing his pain, anger and guilt of watching his brother helplessly being killed in front of him. It could be my primitive animalistic nature speaking here, but I wanted Hector to kill Joey, the consequences be damned. Yes, Joey had his share of a tragic past, but does knowing that take away the pain of a loved one lost forever?

        Unfortunately the odds are stacked against Hector. This is no fantasy movie where the traumatised hero can be transformed into a vigilante overnight. How could one fight against someone good in street fighting? And with each opportunity lost where Hector gets humiliated, my anger rose to new levels. That is why I really appreciate the way author chose to end the story satisfying both the good and the bad.

        It goes without saying that this is one of the best books I have read this year. It has been a long time since I felt so close to a particular character as if he is a living breathing human being with emotions so real.

Favourite quotes:

"Courage was more than the willingness to take risks. . . It was composure under pressure, the ability to keep the mind alert and focused no matter what."

"I've watched my own cowardice with my mind's flashlight for many years. Looking at it doesn't make it go away. It just helps me live with it. As far as I can tell, that's what courage is, finding a way to live with our cowardice."

"Happiness is what you like to do, and duty is what you need to do. But what if the duty comes from love?"

Meet the author:

Francisco X. Stork was born in Mexico. He moved to El Paso Texas with his adoptive father and mother when he was nine. He attended Spring Hill College, Harvard University and Columbia Law School. He worked as an attorney for thirty-three years before retiring in 2015. He is married and has two grown children and four beautiful grandkids. He loves to discover new books and authors. His favorite books are those where the author’s soul touches his.

Jaipur Journals - Namita Gokhale (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 2/5/2021

Author: Namita Gokhale

Publisher: HopeRoad

Publication Date: April 29, 2021

Rating: 4/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours)

About the book:

From the co-founder of the Jaipur Literary Festival, a brilliant, funny, and moving novel set against the background of the festival, and the characters that make it tick

Told from multiple perspectives, from the authors enjoying moments of adulation after years of creative isolation, to the star-struck public mingling with their cultural icons, to those in-between, who are both author and fan, these diverse stories of lost love and regret, self-doubt, and new beginnings come together in a narrative that is as varied as India itself. 

From a septuagenarian who has completed her semi-biographical novel but does not want to part with it, to an author who receives a threat in the form of a poison pen letter; from a historian who reunites with a past lover, to a burglar who is passionate about poetry; from a young woman who has no idea what this world has in store for her, to an American woman looking for the India of her hippie youth, this metafictional, wryly funny novel is an ode to literature. 

Partly a love letter to the greatest literary show on earth, partly a satire about the glittery set that throngs the festival year after year, and partly an ode to the millions of aspiring writers who wander the earth with unsubmitted manuscripts in their bags, Jaipur Journals is a light-footed romp that showcases in full form Gokhale’s unsparing eye for the pretensions and the pathos of that loneliest tribe of them all: the writers.

Review:

        Attending Jaipur Literary Festival still remains an unfulfilled dream for me and so getting this opportunity to vicariously experience it through the many characters in this story must be a godsend. And the way the author has managed the multiple POVs makes it truly a wonderful work; there are no chapter divisions yet the story flows seamlessly from one participant to the other. Participants from different age groups, social backgrounds, gender and totally unrelated lives come together only because of the one passion that they share: the beauty of the written word.

        A budding novelist of twelve years old, seventy-two-year-old unpublished author, a graphic artist, an academic who makes use of folk artists, a thief . . . well, the list goes on. As diverse as they seem, they all seem to have a ritualistic devotion to the festival. None of them is perfect, quite the opposite in fact. They are the ones who seem successful on the outside with secure jobs and literary achievements to showcase and with vulnerabilities to hide. 

        Pretty much the same scenario we can find in any literary conferences. If your academic pursuits have ever led  to a similar situation where you have wondered what exactly goes through the minds of all these people, then this story is for you. Something that makes you see that even your idols are made of flesh and blood with all the frailities associated with it.

Meet the author:

Born in Lucknow, India, NAMITA GOKHALE, is an award-winning writer, publisher, and the co-founder/director (with William Dalrymple) of the Jaipur Literary Festival. She is the author of over twenty fiction and non-fiction books including the best-selling Paro: Dreams of Passion, Priya, and Things to Leave Behind. In 2017 Namita was awarded the first ever Centenary National Award for Literature by the Literary Society of Assam for her service to the Indian nation in supporting and showcasing Indian writing talents. Described as one of the finest Indian writers, she lives in New Delhi.