Archives for April 2015

SINCERELY, CEE | A letter from yours truly to Silver in the Blood

April 8, 2015 Comment : 1

**Dear Jessica Day George and Silver in the Blood,**

You had me at “society girls!”

[quote cite=”Goodreads” url=”https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22929540-silver-in-the-blood”]Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate . . . or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.[/quote]

Reviews

REVIEW | Reasons Why None of the Above Is A Book You Need to Read

April 6, 2015 Comments : 6

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio
April 7, 2015
Balzer + Bray
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
* ARC courtesy of Edelweiss

A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.

What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?

When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She’s a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she’s madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she’s decided that she’s ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin’s first time isn’t the perfect moment she’s planned–something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy “parts.”

Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin’s entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from Edelweiss + HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “Dawn is my favorite time of day. “

Wow, I just—None of the Above is a book that everybody has to read because it’s stunning, important, and educational in its portrayal of its characters and the issues they are dealing with. It tackles a condition that is rarely talked about in YA in a thought-provoking way. (Yay for diversity!)

None of the Above follows Kristin Lattimer, whose world is thrown on its axis when she discovers that she is intersex, a condition where she looks outwardly like a female, but has internal male characteristics. When her condition is revealed to her entire high school, she struggles with her own identity and her ignorant classmates who ridicule her. Kristin questions who she is—is she female or male? Or, like the title says, none of the above?

**Five Reasons Why None of the Above Is A Book You Need to Read**

Recommendations

EPIC RECS | April 2015

April 2, 2015 Comments : 3

epicrecs

* The lovely banner was created by Charlotte with the resources I bestowed onto her.

[quote]Epic Recs is hosted by the lovely Judith (Paper Riot) and Amber (Books of Amber). It is a feature where each month, you and your partner force a book onto each other, or to put it nicely, recommend one to read. My partner in crime will be the one-and-only Charlotte of The Simple Tales. Let the fun (*ahem* pain) begin![/quote]

Oh boy, well, guys. I have to make an announcement, and that is…I failed March’s Epic Reads. *hides and cries* I never read Stormdancer. I had every intention to read it, but it just didn’t happen. The main reason: I became enamored with my OUTLAW BABES project, so I was spending a lot of my time developing and writing about my characters.

(Cee: 2, Charlotte: 3. I guess Charlotte wins this round. As if there’s something to be won here. Ha.)

epic recs april

For this month’s Epic Recs, I’m recommending Charlotte White Cat by Holly Black. This is totally a Cee book that people need to be read. It has con artists/grifters, magical powers, male POV, and BROTHERS. ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS. Initially, I hadn’t thought much about the book when I first read it, but when I was talking about it with a friend, I realized that it had so many of my favorite tropes, and the relationship of the brothers, guys, wow. Such an emotional ride. I cannot wait until Charlotte reads it!

Charlotte recommended me The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand. I adore Claire Legrand’s work. I’ve only read The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, and when I think back on that book, I just remember it so fondly. What I’m most excited about The Year of Shadows is the Gothic-ness of it! I’m just a fan of that genre because I love that dark and creepy. And apparently, there’s family goodness? Yeeeessss. You can read her Epic Recs post about why she recommended me this book.

What do you think about our recommendations? Have you read either book? Tell me all about it!

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