The Prince and the Dressmaker

TW: I can't think of any, it does have cross-dressing in it. It brings up the question of gender identity. 

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon is his brilliant dressmaker, Frances―his best friend and one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect her friend?

Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

I loved this graphic novel. It is a classic story told in a beautiful new way. I borrowed this book from my local library but plan on buying a copy for my bookshelf at home. BEAUTIFUL! 

I gave this FIVE out of five stars on goodreads.

The Young Elites Series

The Young Elites

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Not even going to try explaining what this is about. The description is right here, so you can read that if you want to.

I loved that the main character, Adelina Amouteru, isn't perfect. She isn't traditionally "pretty" because of her marks and she has a bit of darkness in her. I enjoyed the way this book kept me turning the pages. I wanted to see what happened with the young elites. There were a few twists that really surprised me but they weren't so far out there as to be unbelievable.

Not sure there was anything I didn't like about this book. The descriptions were so good that I could imagine that world. The characters that you got to know had some depth to them. They weren't just space holders. You learned to like them or at least respect their character.

Overall I would give this book 5 stars. It was good enough for me to put books two and three on my "to read" list before even finishing book one.

The Rose Society

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?

Bestselling author Marie Lu delivers another heart-pounding adventure in this exhilarating sequel to The Young Elites.

I am having a really difficult time figuring out what to write about this story. I hate the person that Adelina is becoming. I would most definitely call her an anti-hero now. The terror she is reigning down on the people who wronged her, I can empathize with it. Loved that her sister is now at her side. Loved how descriptive Lu is with the characters. I can see them in my mind, but there aren't so many details that you get bogged down in it. I have book three ready to go and just have to finish a couple that are due sooner. The suspense is killing me! What's going to happen!?

The Midnight Star

There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all she’s gained.

When a new danger appears, Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds, putting not only herself at risk, but every Elite. In order to preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

What a conclusion to this amazing series. 

This takes the previous two and wraps up the entire story into a nice neat package. I love the ending (no worries, I won't spoil it!) 

You see Adelina continue to be tormented by the voices in her head. Will she do what is best for herself, or what is best for the world. I love this quote from Adelina's sister: You cannot harden your heart to the future just because of your past. You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others. Sums up how I was feeling about her at the end of book two. If you are looking for a new series to read, totally look this one up. Check out all three at once because once you get started, you aren't going to want to stop.

Reading Banned Books

Linking up with Mama Kat again this week for writer's workshop. The prompt I chose this week is: Book review! 

Since hearing about the book bans going on in Nampa, I put all those books on my "to be read" list. I have now finished six of those books. Here are my thoughts on the books I've read thus far in my banned book journey. Six books read, 16 to go! You can read my first post about the banned books here. 

I will include trigger warnings (TW) before each review. In order to educate, (and because I had to look into them too!) According to a quick google search: Trigger warnings also allow people who have been traumatized by a similar situation or who are struggling with PTSD know that participating in and/or consuming the content in question could trigger a flashback.

TW: Body shaming, moderate cursing, racism, fat-phobia, homophobia and minor alcohol consumption. 

I thought this was a fun book. I loved Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and this book just gave me the opportunity to get to know the characters better. This time the focus is on Leah. Leah is (as described by the author) An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon

Gave this one three stars on goodreads. 

TW: Suicide, minor alcohol consumption, sexual violence

I don't even know how to rate this... Suicide is a very real problem in this county (and the world). According to the CDC there is one death by suicide every 11 minutes. 

Even knowing all the signs, somehow everyone in Hannah's life didn't see what she was feeling. The further I got in the story, the more I saw the warning signs (often pointed out by the narrator, Clay) but it was all too late. 

You read Hannah's story through tapes. Tapes she recorded in the last days of her life, telling her 13 reasons why. Its easy to see how this teen girl felt so trapped by life that suicide felt like the only way out.

If you are experiencing difficult thoughts call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
You can even text if phone calls aren't your thing, Text HOME to 741741 - available in the US anytime.

You can even contact the above if you are concerned about someone else. They have resources and can give advice.

I gave this four stars on goodreads 

TW: cheating, death, family separation, forced pregnancy, hanging, oppressive government, prostitution, rape, sexism 

I don't know what I though this book was going to be, but this wasn't it. I guess I was thinking it was more "old timey" but this is like a look at a future possibility of the world. Scary! Not sure if I will continue this series or not. If I do, I think I will pick up the actual book versus listening. I didn't love the narrator's voice. 

I gave this book three stars on goodreads.

TW: I can't think of any, it does have cross-dressing in it. It brings up the question of gender identity. 

I loved this graphic novel. It is a classic story told in a beautiful new way. I borrowed this book from my local library but plan on buying a copy for my bookshelf at home. BEAUTIFUL! 

I gave this FIVE stars on goodreads.

TW: Rape, suicide, war, death, cancer. 

Although it is a work of fiction, you can sometimes lose yourself so much in the story that you forget. I can imagine this kind of story happens every day... It was so real I often had to remind myself it was a work of fiction. I wanted to know where are they now?? But, they aren't. They aren't real. 

I can see why this book is on the list. Some of the scenes are quite graphic, including the sexual assault of a child by other children. Still don't agree with the "decision" because it is the life some children are living. 

TW: Ableism, alcoholism, underage drinking, bullying, child abuse and marijuana use. 

I read Eleanor and Park in February of 2017. Here is my review from then: The ONLY thing I didn't love about this book was the ending. Felt like I was ripped off when I got so involved in the characters lives.

This is another of the books that jumps back and forth viewpoints between Eleanor (awkward, poor new girl) and Park. At first, it is just the story of the two of their lives and how they circled around each other. From the first pages, I had a feeling there was something deeper then Eleanor was letting out, but that info wasn't revealed until late in the book.

Loved this story. Love that it wasn't a perfect "love story" or even a perfect story. Love almost every page of this book.

Gave this book four stars on goodreads. 

This post partially inspired by: 

The Handmaid's Tale

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now . . .

Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.

TW: cheating, death, family separation, forced pregnancy, hanging, oppressive government, prostitution, rape, sexism 

I don't know what I though this book was going to be, but this wasn't it. I guess I was thinking it was more "old timey" but this is like a look at a future possibility of the world. Scary! Not sure if I will continue this series or not. If I do, I think I will pick up the actual book versus listening. I didn't love the narrator's voice. 

I gave this book three out of five stars on goodreads.