Romance – Page 18 – My Good Reads

‘All The Bright Places’ – Jennifer Niven

Published in 2015, ‘All The Bright Places’ strikes me as one of those books that, once found, will be held dear in the hearts of its readers.

Please don’t be under any illusions; this is a book that deals with raw emotions and the focus on mental health/bereavement may be quite challenging for some. However, I think this is an important book as many teenagers and young adults will live through such events. How can they ever hope to navigate their way through these emotions and experiences if they are sheltered from them?

When we meet Violet Markey she is living with the fact that she survived the crash that killed her sister. She feels guilty. This goes some way to explaining why, when we first meet her, she is sitting at the top of her school’s bell tower trying to find the courage to get down. Her rescuer is Theodore Finch, a boy reviled by many of his classmates simply because he doesn’t conform to their label. Thus begins a beautiful friendship.

This book makes no secret of the fact that Finch and Violet are struggling to live with some pretty nasty demons. Yet, together, they seem to lift one another.
Though you sense where this ends, I was in no way prepared for the emotional impact of the story. Niven does not shy away from the details that we may prefer not to know.

This is fascinating to read. I found it hard as an adult to sit back and watch these fragile teenagers dealing with what was thrown at them. The anger I felt towards Finch’s family took me by surprise. As a young adult I think I would have loved this book; as an adult I’m trying to encourage my own teenager to read it and hoping the film will be released soon.

‘Pushing the Limits’ – Katie McGarry

Part of a series of novels, each telling the story of a different couple of characters. This, the first in the series, focuses on Noah and Echo.

Both Echo and Noah have had to contend with more trauma than anyone should have to experience in a lifetime,never mind before you finish school! They are damaged characters, but there is an inner strength to each of them that is really beautiful to see.

Noah’s parents died in a fire. His younger brothers are with a couple who want to adopt them. All Noah wants is the chance to be a family again.

Echo’s brother died on active service. She was attacked by her mother, but remembers nothing. All she wants is to sleep without being disturbed by nightmares, and to regain her memories without losing her mind.

This book was crammed with issues, some of which were better handled than others. The relationship between the main characters is at the heart of the novel. It’s tempestuous, but oddly sweet.

Only by testing ourselves at times can we really develop. Both characters push their limits…hard to read, but powerful.

‘Georgia, Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit’ – Jaye Robin Brown

Given the shooting that has just happened in Orlando, the need for this book is great. I can certainly see how it could act as support for any teenager exploring a crisis of faith that occurs as a result of their sexuality.

Jo, as a confident and proudly out lesbian, is put in a really difficult situation. At the start of her senior year she moves with her father and new step-mother to a less tolerant area. Her father, a preacher who says he accepts his daughter, then asks Jo to hide who she really is to help them integrate into the community.
The irony that Jo then befriends a boy with two mums, and the beautiful Mary who is coming to terms with her own sexuality, will not be lost on readers.

Suddenly Jo is struggling with her own crisis of faith. Should she show love and respect for her father and his new wife, or should she be true to herself?
The question of faith and what it means to us is at the heart of the novel. There are some interesting questions raised, and we see a range of views considered.

Ultimately, this has a feel-good factor in the way key issues are resolved though I did find it hard to accept some of the things asked of individuals and the scenarios that lead us to these results. An absorbing read, which I will have no hesitation to recommend.

Thanks to the publishers, via edelweiss, for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

‘Flat-Out Love’ – Jessica Park

‘Flat-Out Love’ is a curious read, but one to persevere with.

We first meet Julie when she’s heading to college in Boston. Her accommodation doesn’t work out, so an old college friend of her mother steps in and saves the day. Julie joins this eccentric and highly dysfunctional family, and we get to see her learn more about them as she goes through her studies.

This eighteen year old is quick to take thirteen year old Celeste under her wing, but it is her relationship with Finn – the eldest son – that initially draws us in. Though we’re told Finn is travelling, Julie friends him on Facebook and finds herself drawn to this boy she’s never met.

There are some wonderful moments during this story. It’s witty but also upsetting. Julie seemed a little too keen to ‘fix’ everything, which I wasn’t totally convinced by, but I found myself drawn to her as she learns more about the relationships between those around her.

It is only fairly late on that we start to get clues about the, quite frankly, astonishing revelation this warm but broken family unit have to make. Julie’s initial response had me gulping (and, yes, feeling more than a little teary) but by the end I was quite won over.

‘The Program’ – Suzanne Young

A dystopian novel with a bit of a difference.

At this point in time we are led to believe that suicide has become an epidemic. We’re not told why – though it’s laid at the door of our dependence on anti-depressants – but with so many teenagers killing themselves, society has turned to The Program as a way of controlling this problem. Anyone under the age of 18 who shows signs of being depressed/uncertain or even experiencing excessive emotion (tell me if I’m missing something, but I thought that was the expected result of lots of hormones and someone lacking life experiences on which to draw) is enrolled into The Program.

Sloane and her boyfriend James have experienced their fair share of tragedy. Sloane’s brother killed himself, her best friend is taken away as she’s depressed, another friend kills himself and James eventually succumbs to his emotions. One by one, everyone she relies on and interacts with is removed, and it is perhaps inevitable that Sloane is taken into The Program.

The second part of the novel chronicles Sloane’s experiences, and it is here that we get our strongest hints that all is not quite what it seems. Sloane is never entirely sure who to trust, and what feelings are caused by the obscene amounts of drugs pumped into her during this process. She comes to trust Realm, who seems like one of the good guys, but even that isn’t quite as straightforward as we think.

The final part of the novel focuses on what happens when Sloane is returned home. She doesn’t quite feel as she’s meant to, and she has the opportunity to regain some of her memories. Her dilemma is whether it is worth it when those she shared the experiences with have no recollection of the events.
This reminded me a little of ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, though here the actions are placed firmly in the hands of the adults who believe they are acting in their children’ best interests.

The Epilogue really sets up our interest in what comes next. I can’t wait to find out where this goes.

‘A Court of Mist and Fury’ – Sarah J. Maas

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

While I thoroughly recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses, this is in a league of its own.

Upon her return from Under the Mountain, Feyre is broken. She is fading away, and Tamlin’s desire to protect her becomes stifling. As readers we are keen for her to get her happy ending, but when her marriage to Tamlin is interrupted we wonder how on earth it is going to happen. Bear with it, and you will see how Maas pulls off something more than a little unpredictable.

In the background of Feyre’s personal life we have the story of the King plotting to gain control of the kingdom. War is coming. Lots of characters tell us this, over and over again. Don’t worry, I think we can safely say what the focus is for the next in the series! It’s fair to say that not a whole lot happens but there wasn’t one point where I found myself bored.

This is a huge turn-around from book 1 but it makes perfect sense in light of what we learn in this novel. We spend a lot of time in the Court of Rhysand, and come to learn an awful lot more about him. Rhysand is a deliciously complex character, and there is a definite sense of Maas having fun writing this one. While we come to this novel seeing Rhysand very much as the villain, it’s soon clear that things are never quite as straightforward as we might think.

There will be some readers who will criticise the explicit sexual content in the later stages of the novel. It is a long time coming, but Feyre certainly makes up for lost time! In the context of the novel it does make sense, and it’s hardly groundbreaking that Feyre gets to have a healthy sex life only once a clear bond is established. My main concern is that it seems this series is being marketed as young adult fiction – typically focusing on readers of 14 and upwards – and I think some parents might appreciate a bit of a heads-up about the graphic sexual content beforehand.

In addition to admiring the shift in focus that we get here, which does hint at a truly interesting next book, I am completely in awe of the ending. At this point I feel there should be a cue for my maniacal cackling and rubbing of hands together in anticipation. I, for one, cannot wait until the next part is out.

‘Eleanor and Park’ – Rainbow Rowell

Having recently read a couple of Rainbow Rowell novels, it didn’t take long to sniff out another potential read. Most reviews of this were overwhelmingly positive, gushing even, which put me off a little. I was worried about not ‘getting it’ or not quite feeling as positive about it as I hoped to. Thankfully, I needn’t have worried. This quite hooked me.

I can overlook the fact that Eleanor and Park seem to fall in love overnight, and with virtually no contact, as the pair of them together were so earnest and lovely. Both misfits in their own way, they are great characters who just seem to find each other at the right time.

My main gripe with this novel was that I felt we dwelt on the relationship between Park and Eleanor at the expense of developing our understanding of their home environments/relationships. I can’t understand how all these people seem to know what Richie (Eleanor’s step-dad) is like, but do nothing about the situation. It could also have been interesting to flesh out some of the other characters who see something in both Eleanor and Park. These are not unlikeable teenagers, but they were in their own little bubble for so much of the story and yet there were clearly people who cared about them.

I also found it quite disconcerting to have such an obviously dated setting with regard to tapes and cultural references. I loved this, but wonder if it might be a little off-putting to contemporary readers.

Though the romantic in me hopes the words on Eleanor’s final postcard gave Park hope of them meeting again soon, I admire the fact that Rowell left us uncertain about what happens.

‘Love May Fail’ – Matthew Quick

‘Love May Fail’ is an unusual book. The title suggests a book about taking a chance, having the courage to take a risk and hoping that it all works out. The main characters are all, in some way, flawed but their lives intertwine and allow us to catch glimpses of the way we can influence those we come into contact with.

There are a number of stories within this novel, some of which are more interesting than others.

The main character is Portia Kane, a rather irritating woman with a good heart who tends to let life pass her by. She has, for years, lived with the fact that her mother is a hoarder and social recluse. Portia finds her husband cheating on her at the start of the novel, so she takes off on some crazy mission to save the one man who inspired her-Mr Vernon, her high school teacher. Things don’t go quite to plan, but Portia does find a new relationship and becomes a writer (albeit one whose novel bombs).

Mr Vernon is a broken man when we meet him. He’s lost that spark his students recall with fondness-but I think that’s inevitable if you’re attacked by a student! He is quite pretentious in many ways, but as we learn more about him he feels a more genuine character.

This is a novel of coincidences. It felt quite manipulative, and I really didn’t feel emotionally connected enough to the characters to be drawn into their worlds. Perhaps the most genuine characters were Portia’s old friend, Danielle, and her brother, Chuck. Unfortunately, even these characters were toyed with in such a way that I lost interest in them.

I can’t help but feel this is one of those novels that on a different day, or under a different set of circumstances, I might have felt a lot more positively about. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC though.

‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ – Sarah J. Maas

This is my first experience of reading Sarah J. Maas, and though I wasn’t sure about it initially it quickly became more entertaining.

When we first meet Feyre she is like Katniss in a new setting-desperately poor, relied on by her family and hunting to survive. When she kills a wolf she is focused on the money and sustenance it will provide. Unfortunately, her kill sets in place a chain of events that quickly become bigger than anything she could have imagined.

Living on the borders, Feyre has been conditioned to hate Faeries so when she is ordered to live in the lands of Prythian to atone for her killing one of them she is resistant. Now surrounded by Tamlin and his court, Feyre has to learn to live in this environment in order to keep her family safe.

As I read this it brought to mind well-known fairy stories, as well as popular contemporary stories. This could have been a rather trite romance, and the presence of other characters -Lucien and Rhysand- kept it interesting. I loved the background story hinting at an epic battle for control of a kingdom/intrigue, and the section where Feyre is trapped under the mountain fighting for her life was powerful.

Part of me still wonders if there is more to the story of Feyre’s mother as there are hints that she might be more closely allied to events than we first think. It would make sense of the decision taken at the end that keeps Feyre in the story.
While this perhaps won’t be classed as one of my favourites, I definitely want to continue reading the series.

‘Speechless’ – Hannah Harrington

Chelsea Knot starts the book as one of the popular crowd at school. Best friends with Kirsten, Chelsea is used to being able to say what she likes without having to think of the consequences. Unfortunately, she is also portrayed as a completely unpleasant superficial character.

The novel opens with a New Year’s Eve party. Something happens that Chelsea just can’t keep quiet about. The tone at the start is gossipy and fairly lightweight, but from the moment Chelsea opens her mouth to tell people what she saw a chain of events is set in place that has serious consequences.

The symbolism of this taking place at New Year isn’t lost on the reader-this book is about starting anew and changing yourself (or at least coming to accept who you really are).

The characters are, for the most part, fairly stock high-school stereotypes and I think this means it will appeal to its target readership. The crowd that Chelsea finds herself drawn to when she takes her pledge to be silent are one big happy family. They are better developed, and there were some great passages as we watch Chelsea get taken into the heart of this new family and come to terms with who she is and what she wants.

A quick read but one with a serious message to convey. I just wish that Chelsea hadn’t been such a manipulated character at the start as it did make it harder for me to accept unquestioningly her transition.