Books à la Mode | a book, beauty, and fashion blog: 6 Heart Review

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

6 Heart Review: Behind Closed Doors by by B.A. Paris

Behind Closed Doors
B.A. Paris

Page Count: 304
Release Date: August 9th, 2016 (hardcover edition)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (MacMillan)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Wunderkind PR!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace: he has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You'd like to get to know Grace better. But it's difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart. Some might call this true love.

Picture this: a dinner party at their perfect home, the conversation and wine flowing. They appear to be in their element while entertaining. And Grace's friends are eager to reciprocate with lunch the following week. Grace wants to go, but knows she never will. Her friends call—so why doesn't Grace ever answer the phone? And how can she cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim?

And why are there bars on one of the bedroom windows?

The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?

Review

Jack and Grace Angel are the perfect couple, but from a keen eye's perspective, there are little things that are peppered throughout their marriage that raise many red flags, like Grace not even having her own cell phone (or email address), Jack's propensity to accompany Grace everywhere (including up to the door of the ladies' room), and Grace's eerily immaculate and calm exterior.

Sadly, in the book, no one sees this as particularly odd or toxic, which may reflect how domestic abuse manifests in the real world; despite actual cries for help, it may go unnoticed, or not taken seriously.

Behind Closed Doors takes a somber real-world matter and spins it into a hysterical, drama-filled novel that is narrated in alternating timelines: The Past—the first glimpses of Jack's private battery against Grace—and The Present—the buildup of Grace's plan to end it all.

Maybe I'm just desensitized to thrillers having read some very effed-up ones before, but overall I felt this book fell short of my expectations. After all, the back cover says in large red print: "Makes Gone Girl Seem Like a Fairy Tale," so I expected just that: something bigger and bolder and scarier than Gone Girl. Spoiler alert: Behind Closed Doors doesn't really measure up to Gone Girl at all. To me, it reads like a book-version of an over-the-top Lifetime movie. It revolves around an issue that shouldn't be taken lightly, but Grace's first-person narrative is pretty hard to take seriously, and all the "riveting" twists are quite predictable.

Are there parts that are extremely disturbing and sad? Yes. Jack is a venomous character with no chance of redemption at all, and it was hard to swallow some of his terrible actions. However, to me this was another extremely unrealistic point; characters, especially in real life, are rarely one-dimensional and I would have liked to see some conflict within his character, or maybe a dilemma between his thoughts/feelings and actions, but there was none of that. He's the big bad villain in this story, and nothing more. Grace's determination to free herself of this marital prison and plot her revenge against her husband is the almost impossible, excruciating journey readers are taken along on.

But did these disturbing scenes really keep me at the edge of my seat? I think that's the true indication of a good thriller, but unfortunately, Behind Closed Doors didn't do it for me. The so-called "scary" storyline is painfully obvious, and there is no mind-blowing twist like Gone Girl had. Grace's situation is more frustrating than suspenseful. As a reader, I felt bad for her and wanted to help her out of such a helpless situation, but I wasn't necessarily reveling in the psychological abuse.

While British author B.A. Paris's writing style is appropriately falsely cheery, it isn't wonderfully skilled. The book focuses on plain detail with no integral purpose (like paragraphs of what was served for dinner, what Grace is wearing, how long commute takes, etc.), and while the structural choice of jumbling up the past and present chapters is interesting, it can get quite confusing and seemed unnecessary.

Content-wise, Behind Closed Doors is definitely an anxiety attack kind of story: it's more the threat of death and violence that's scary about Jack's abuse, rather than the actual blood and gore itself. It doesn't really fit in the horror genre, so if you're the squeamish type, you'll be able to get through this one. But if you're easily disturbed by exaggerated threats and targeted psychological abuse, you may want to stay away.

Pros

Fast-paced, not difficult to read // Interesting timeline shifts that aren't too confusing // Original, convoluted storyline; props to B.A. Paris for creating the ultimate evil character

Cons

Writing style and narration is elementary, at best.. nothing special // Grace is an irritating character, although I do sympathize with her // There are multiple twists and turns throughout, but most of it, while pretty horrific, is barely shocking // Overall plot is too obvious; you don't have to do much guesswork based off the vague synopsis // All of the characters are flat and underdeveloped; none of them seem realistic or complex (including the main characters, Grace and Jack) // Doesn't really compare to Gone Girl, despite the rave reviews

Verdict

Behind Closed Doors is a lofty attempt at an intense psychological thriller, but reads more like a Lifetime drama about extreme emotional abuse than anything else. Part of my critique stems from the hype surrounding this novel; it isn't at all a bland read, but it's hardly "2016's answer to Gone Girl" (Women's Health), which is exactly what I was anticipating. If it had been marketed as a domestic showpiece rather than a psychological thriller that supposedly trumps Gone Girl (to reiterate: it doesn't), I may have enjoyed it more

Sunday, January 24, 2016

6 Heart Review: The Furies by Natalie Haynes

The Furies
Natalie Haynes

Page Count: 297
Release Date: November 17th 2015 (US Paperback)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (MacMillan)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, St. Martin's Press!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

After losing her fiancé in a shocking tragedy, Alex Morris moves from London to Edinburgh to make a break with the past. Formerly an actress, Alex accepts a job teaching drama therapy at a school commonly referred to as "The Unit," a last-chance learning community for teens expelled from other schools in the city. Her students have troubled pasts and difficult personalities, and Alex is an inexperienced teacher, terrified of what she's taken on and drowning in grief.

Her most challenging class is an intimidating group of teenagers who have been given up on by everyone before her. But Alex soon discovers that discussing the Greek tragedies opens them up in unexpected ways, and she gradually develops a rapport with them. But are these tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge teaching more than Alex ever intended? And who becomes responsible when these students take the tragedies to heart, and begin interweaving their darker lessons into real life with terrible and irrevocable fury?

Natalie Haynes's The Furies is a psychologically complex, dark, and twisting novel about loss, obsession and the deep tragedies that can connect us to each other even as they blind us to our fate.

Review

I met them on the 6th of January 2011, in the basement room at 58 Rankeillor Street. And I wouldn't have believed any of them could do something so monstrous.

Theater director Alex Morris flees to Edinburgh in wake of her fiancé's brutal, unexpected death, seeking the position of a grade school drama teacher as refuge. But her background is not education, and this is no ordinary school; dubbed "The Unit," this alternative learning center takes in teenagers who have nowhere else to go, other than correctional facilities. The most troubled of these students, the oldest of the bunch, stand out to Alex as the darkest, the most mysterious, even though on the surface, they just seem like normal, albeit temperamental, adolescents.

The anxieties of a novice teacher and both the languid aftermath of tragedy are excellently portrayed through Alex's first-person voice. Although her character is rather stale and boring, I could easily relate to her concern for the troubled students, and her grief over her fiancé. When one particular student's interest is piqued by this newcomer teacher, Alex finds herself in a freaky whirlwind of events where the haunting tragedy of her past and the eerie environment of The Unit intersect.

Based loosely off Agamemnon and incorporating other Greek mythological symbols and themes into the plot line, The Furies is a provocative account of the danger of obsession and curiosity and the urgency for vengeance. Greek tragedies are discussed in vivid detail in Alex's classroom lessons, which I found fascinating. However, overall I found this book to be rather disappointing because it is lacking just a hair in every other area: a relatable but oftentimes lifeless protagonist, intriguing yet shallowly written character relationships, and a back-and-forth narration that had potential, but was ultimately exhausting.

Told in alternating past and present narratives, The Furies slowly unravels what happened before, and what happened after, but doesn't reveal what actually happened, until the near-end in a rather unexciting climax. I felt the tension regarding the uneasiness surrounding the students is well conveyed, but the "terrible and irrevocable fury" is not what I expected. The dark twist isn't necessarily predictable, but it just isn't thrilling, especially after all the long, slow (veerry slow) rising action that precedes it.

Pros

Incredible suspense created // Original, vibrant plot // Characters are memorable and entirely take on their own personalities within the story

Cons

Rather flat climax and ending // Past/present narratives are confusing // Slowly paced // As much as I loved the basic plot, I just don't think it was executed phenomenally; overall, I just didn't find it as electrifying as I expected it to be // Alex's voice is monotonous—it just didn't capture my attention most of the time

Verdict

Tied closely to common themes of Greek tragedy including revenge, fate vs. free will, and obsession, The Furies is a compelling exploration of the power that comes with awareness and education, as well as the power of naïve youth. While I found this novel to be thought-provoking in its discussion of grief and humanity, the thriller aspects were lost on me because of the rather anticlimactic ending—it could have been accomplished more cleverly. Regardless, Natalie Haynes's unusual plot and smooth-flowing storytelling combine memorably in this debut; it's certainly unlike any other book I've read before

Friday, December 11, 2015

6 Heart Review: Exquisite Corpse by Pénélope Bagieu

Exquisite Corpse
Pénélope Bagieu, translated by Alexis Siegel

Page Count: 124
Release Date: May 5th 2015 (Hardcover)
Publisher: First Second Books (MacMillan)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, First Second!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Zoe isn't exactly the intellectual type, which is why she doesn't recognize world-famous author Thomas Rocher when she stumbles into his apartment... and into his life.

It's also why she doesn't know that Rocher is supposed to be dead. Turns out, Rocher faked his death years ago to escape his critics, and has been making a killing releasing his new work as "lost manuscripts," in cahoots with his editor/ex-wife Agathe. Neither of them would have invited a crass party girl like Zoe into their literary conspiracy of two, but now that she's there anyway...

Zoe doesn't know Balzac from Batman, but she's going to have to wise up fast... because she's sitting on the literary scandal of the century!

Review

Dying to be an author...

Graphic novels are always a pleasure to read, considering how rare a format they are in adult literature. Bagieu's debut is short and sweet, its cartoony, colorful illustrations being the biggest standout—everything is fashionable, yet minimalistic... think Lancôme ads (but more corrupt).

Zoe is a self-proclaimed non-intellectual, working various part-time jobs to make ends meet and totally reveling in, and simultaneously jaded with the bachelorette life. When she unintentionally stumbles into the apartment of Thomas Rocher, her unschooled lifestyle provides her no way of knowing he's the most critically acclaimed author of the 21st century. And that he "died" years ago, but is more successful dead than alive with all his "posthumous" work's publication. What a marvelous, quirky, almost fantastical plot we have to work with; I applaud Bagieu on the originality and that touch of just-crazy-enough-to-be-cute.

Disappointingly, the execution isn't as sharp. The book was very easy to get through due to its short length and simplistic structure, but I didn't find any of the writing compelling or absorbing. I'm positive (or positively hoping) that there was some tone and humor lost in translation with this book. The style was indeed unexquisite, rather blunt than beautiful—I just wasn't impressed. It was also full of run-on sentences that just tilted everything slightly off, but that's pretty typical of most French translated literature.

Zoe's entanglement in the deceit that Rocher and his ex-wife are committing is comical in a literary sense, but it's nothing that stood out as witty or clever. There's a huge plot twist at the end that I won't give away, but again, this wasn't anything that shocked me or drew me in. The book is only novella-length at 124 pages, but it's much, much less if you don't count the illustrations; I suppose undeveloped characters and a flat plot-line just come with the territory.

I feel I'd recommend this book solely on the basis of its wonderful and unique drawings, which Bagieu also did herself. The full-color pictures may convince you to pick this one up, but be prepared for a pretty underwhelming short story that isn't as exciting as the synopsis makes it out to be.

Pros

A very quick read; both short in length and in text since the graphics take up a lot of the pages // Easy to navigate; pleasant, simple, yet completely eye-catching illustrations // Quirky fairy-tale ending

Cons

A pretty passing read... not particularly memorable or noteworthy about it // The plot is too straightforward, without much emotional or suspenseful resonance to it

Verdict

Simple in narrative and easy to read, Exquisite Corpse is a book I enjoyed due to its cartoony and eccentric elements. This is definitely an adult's version of a picture book, with more mature themes of sex and deviousness running through it—at least PG-13 status, despite its frivolous, glitzily colorful drawings. Pénélope Bagieu's debut is among the easier and quicker graphic novels to read, although the short length and limited text space do result in underdeveloped story quality. As far as bande dessinées are concerned, Exquisite Corpse retains that slightly vintage Euro vibe that's classic to the genre, but still makes an offbeat splash in the scene, as it's totally minimalistic, sexy, and debauch—just as the Parisians do best

Saturday, August 1, 2015

6 Heart Review: Little Black Lies by Sandra Block

Little Black Lies
Sandra Block

Page Count: 352
Release Date: February 17th 2015
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (Hachette)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Wunderkind PR!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

She helps people conquer their demons. But she has a few of her own...

In the halls of the psychiatric ward, Dr. Zoe Goldman is a resident in training, dedicated to helping troubled patients. However, she has plenty of baggage of her own. When Zoe becomes obsessed with questions about her own mother's death, the truth remains tauntingly out of reach, locked away within her nightmares of an uncontrollable fire. And as her adoptive mother loses her memory to dementia, the time to find the answers is running out.

As Zoe digs deeper, she realizes that the danger is not just in her dreams but is now close at hand. And she has no choice but to face what terrifies her the most. Because what she can't remember just might kill her.

Little Black Lies is about madness and memory—and the dangerous, little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

Review

I pop the pill into my mouth and climb back in bed. My brain slows to a thrum, listening to the Xanax. Arms jelly, legs jelly, brain jelly, melting into the bed. But before I fade off, the finest gossamer of a thought sticks in my brain like a burr.
The fire. After twenty years, why am I dreaming about the fire?

Even after the finality of my 3-out-of-5-star rating for Little Black Lies, I still find the premise completely fascinating. The psychological thriller genre is one among my favorites, and combined with my personal/professional interest in the field (I'm currently studying psychopathology), I couldn't resist picking this one up. While the originality of the plot and extensive psychiatric research and experience that went into this book impress me greatly, I do have to say this book isn't exactly the thriller I expected—or wanted—it to be.

Dr. Zoe Goldman has a tragic past, having lost her birth family in a housefire as a baby. As an adult though, she's doing quite all right because she doesn't remember any of it. This was a fabulous starting point—I love the idea. Sudden dreams and flashbacks of the fire, which she hasn't had since she was a very young child, coincide with the arrival of her newest patient, Sophia Vallano, a beautiful sociopath who murdered her own mother. As both the nightmares and paranoia intensify and Zoe's own psychiatric care begins to go awry, she becomes obsessed with questions about her birth mother's death, including what really happened in that fire, especially when her adoptive mother begins to slip up on Zoe's own life facts, which are too eery to be due to the dementia.

The premise is excellent, and in summary, the book sounds complete. Completely for me. Unfortunately the poor characterization and technical annoyances disappointed me immensely, rendering the book to fall short of what I was initially hoping for.

My first problem was with Zoe herself; even acquainted with her as a first-person narrator, I just couldn't connect with her voice. She's clearly intelligent and very grounded, but as a character, she is stiff, more intellectual and mechanical than relatable. The few sequences of emotion she displays (sympathy for her mom, attraction to her boyfriend, etc.) come off very unconvincingly, which I feel is more an issue with Block's writing than anything else. In the same vein, I didn't like any of the characters in the book, so this reinforces the notion that Zoe isn't just a megabitch, but that the author created weak characters in general. While well edited and concise, Block's hand lacks the fluidity and style that a good novel needs to really reel me in.

That being said, I had no problem reading the book or following the plot. The directness and clarity of the story's progression made it effortless to get through, which is saying a lot, provided the disorientating nature of Zoe's random, mentally unstable flashbacks of her childhood. Block takes two distinct story lines—one in the present and one in the past, that, together, would otherwise be very confusing—and has produced a readable, manageable novel, which is a feat in and of itself.

The rising tension in the novel is so prolonged, that it actually eventually got boring... but I still didn't hate it. I was definitely engaged in following Zoe's journey of discovering the inconsistencies between her unreliable memory, actual childhood, and what she was told by her adoptive parents growing up.

My biggest quip is with the climax/ending. The entire point of the book was to culminate in a dark dangerous secret (which I will abbreviate as D.D.S. from now on) that even the synopsis on the back cover hints at, but it just didn't enthrall or terrify me, as a good thriller should. The climax isn't predictable necessarily—by which I mean, it did surprise me. However the D.D.S. revealed didn't exactly have me reeling, either; it was rather inevitable, and even the back cover teased it in the back of my mind from the beginning, so it was rather anticlimactic.

Pros

Original plot // Interesting medical/psychiatric background and terminology // Creative intentions

Cons

Not the most stylistically written // Inevitable, not-so-frightening D.D.S. // Hopeful premise, but overall not memorable or remarkable // Romance subplot not only is irrelevant/disjointed, but also cringe-worthy and clichéd // Zoe is a straightforward, no-nonsense protagonist, but rather irritating and unlikable // Weak secondary characters

Verdict

Slow paced, technically flawed, and lacking in developed and believable characters, Little Black Lies was a let-down for me all-around—mostly due to my enormous anticipation for it as a psychological thriller. Psychological and at times thrilling? Well, sure, but it's not one of those searing, edge-of-your-seat, mind-blowing thrillers, mostly due to its languid, stretched-out rising action and unavoidable climax. There are moments in the story, especially regarding the solidly researched and written medical topics, that did indeed excite me, but overall Sandra Block's debut novel doesn't particularly stand out to me as a top recommendation

Saturday, June 27, 2015

6 Heart Review: Love and Miss Communication by Elyssa Friedland

Love and Miss Communication
Elyssa Friedland

Page Count: 400
Release Date: May 12th 2015
Publisher: William Morrow (Harper Collins)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Wunderkind PR!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

This unforgettable debut novel asks us to look up from our screens and out at the world... and to imagine what life would be like with no searches, no status updates, no texts, no Tweets, no pins, and no posts

Evie Rosen has had enough. She's tired of the partners at her law firm e-mailing her at all hours of the night. The thought of another online date makes her break out in a cold sweat. She's over the clever hashtags and the endless selfies. So when her career hits a surprising roadblock and her heart is crushed by Facebook, Evie decides it's time to put down her smartphone for good. (Beats stowing it in her underwear—she's done that too!).

And that's when she discovers a fresh start for real conversations, fewer distractions, and living in the moment, even if the moments are heartbreakingly difficult. Babies are born; marriages teeter; friendships are tested. Evie may find love and a new direction when she least expects it, but she also learns that just because you unplug your phone doesn't mean you can also unplug from life.

Review

Somehow quitting the Internet felt right. Like it was taking the bite out of the knockouts she'd been dealt recently. At least this would make her different from everyone else, more unique than another faceless lawyer at a big firm or single girl in Manhattan looking for love. At least she'd have something to talk about on a date, if she ever went on one again. But that was just it. She was relying on the Internet for dates—now she'd go out and meet people in the flesh.

The synopsis of this book is what drew me in initially; disconnecting from the Internet entirely and searching for love as a single thirty-something in New York City? It sounded like the perfect modern-day fairytale. Generally, I did enjoy this book; it's a fresh, airy chick-lit that won't make you think too hard, perfect for a summer road trip or for the beach.

It's clear Friedland is a talented writer in this genre; Love and Miss Communication is an impressive debut. However, a series of minor details struck me as obnoxious, and paired with the pretentious and unlikable main character, Evie, I found myself docking points here and there, and well, eventually everywhere.

Evie, I think, is meant to be an endearing character. A career-driven recent breakup-ee surrounded by happily married friends, she's a protagonist we should sympathize with, root for. Unfortunately, it became very evident very quickly WHY Evie was single. I mean, she's gorgeous, smart, successful (I pulled these adjectives from the text, verbatim)—what's not to love?

Her personality, for starters. I can't imagine wanting to be acquainted with someone as envious and spiteful as her, let alone marry. While she is a funny, often klutzy, self-deprecating sort of gal, she's not nearly as scathing or socially aware enough to get away with her immaturity. Her observations and outlooks on life/dating are bratty, catty, and often borderline offensive... specifically, I feel Friedland crosses the line when she brings unnecessary details about race and class into question. For instance, every time someone is described as "hotter" than Evie or promiscuous, it's an Asian chick. All the manicurists or servers are described as "ethnic," and Evie's ex's new girlfriend is "a Turkish whore." She often expresses insane jealousy over her friends' perfect marriages, and even worse, acts upon these insecurities frequently. Some friend, right? There is one instance where she literally swoons over a guy because of his university credentials, which she calls "pedigree." PEDIGREE. (It becomes obvious that a primary reason she is single is that she won't even look twice at a guy who hasn't graduated from an Ivy League. It's really that simple).

I was able to count 6 more examples or stereotyping/objectification just by skimming through the book. Is there really a need to bring details of minority race/class into such trivial matters like these? I understand it may just be an enormous lapse in judgment but even if just a faux pas, it got on my nerves big-time. I'm not accusing the author of being racist or snobby, but do all the examples make Evie sound like your stereotypical privileged whiney white girl? Absolutely.

If you can get past all that, as well as Evie's unnecessarily competitive and stuck-up personality (and the fact that she doesn't ever grow or evolve into a better person), you'll have better luck appreciating the romance plot which, while unextraordinary, certainly wasn't poorly written, considering this is a light-hearted, feel-good novel. Evie's technology ban isn't as deeply explored as I expected it to be, but it does serve as a prominent theme throughout, so it sets the storyline apart from other contemporary reads.

Happily-ever-after fans will love the ending, regardless of how predictable or unrealistic it may be.

Pros

Laugh-worthy situations Evie gets herself into // Smart, sharp voice // Fluid, easy-to-read style // Hilariously accurate observations on modern dating and social media

Cons

Predictable // Romance portion seems unrealistic, more of the insta-love often found in chick-lit than actual romance // Evie is a self-absorbed and completely unlikable character // Repeated offensive/inferior references to racial and socioeconomic minorities that really ticked me off

Love

"I really think the experience of losing a loved one helps me connect with patients a lot better than I would have otherwise," [Edward] said.

"I totally get that. I just basically got fired and now I connect with unemployed people more than I used to," Evie said. "It's all about the human experience."

What the fuck was she saying?

Edward nodded in agreement, possibly just to save her from embarrassment.

Verdict

Overall a light, fluffy read that doesn't require too much thought or emotional investment, Love and Miss Communication provides extremely funny and relatable anecdotes about modern society from the perspective of a single city woman in the 21st century. While I had a huge issue with Evie's static, high and mighty character, I generally did enjoy this humor- and heart-filled story about breaking out of your comfort zone and finding love—along with finding yourself. Elyssa Friedland provides insightful observations on technology and the pressures of social media in this debut, but leaves a lot to be desired in terms of plot complexity and character development

Thursday, April 16, 2015

6 Heart Review: The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler + Giveaway! (Open internationally!)

The Truth About Us
Janet Gurtler
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Page Count: 304
Release Date: April 7th, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher via tour publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Sourcebooks and Jean BookNerd!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

A powerful and gripping contemporary YA from the author of I’m Not Her that’s just right for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult.

The truth is that Jess knows she screwed up.
She’s made mistakes, betrayed her best friend, and now she’s paying for it. Her dad is making her spend the whole summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.

The truth is she wishes she was the care-free party-girl everyone thinks she is.
She pretends it’s all fine. That her “perfect” family is fine. But it’s not. And no one notices the lie…until she meets Flynn. He’s the only one who really sees her. The only one who listens.

The truth is that Jess is falling apart—and no one seems to care.
But Flynn is the definition of “the wrong side of the tracks.” When Jess’s parents look at him they only see the differences—not how much they need each other. They don’t get that the person who shouldn’t fit in your world... might just be the one to make you feel like you belong.

Review

When the bus approaches, I let [Flynn's] hand go reluctantly and watch out the window until we turn a corner and I can't see him anymore. I wish we could have stayed on the beach forever. But we have to get back to real life and find a way to make it work in a world where people don't think we should be together.
It can't be that bad now that we have each other.

Few YA novels are able to grasp the difficulties and injustices of teenhood while still remaining light and age-appropriate. The Truth About Us tackles painful and sometimes dark real-world struggles—this is no Twilight or Pretty Little Liars—but is still a clean read for younger audiences. Despite its "gripping" content claim, I actually found this a pretty light read. I breezed through it effortlessly; it's one of those books I didn't have to think too deeply about, which is perfect for lounging around with in the upcoming summer months.

There are a few things that just didn't click with me, though. My main issue is that I couldn't really connect with the characters, namely Jess (the narrator) and Flynn (the love interest). It isn't that they're necessarily unlikable, but they just seem too flat, too two-dimensional. Gurtler attempts to add emotional complexity and first-world flaws to Jess's ignorant, rather foolish persona, but it seemed rather forced. There are times her compelling vulnerabilities really shine through, but for the most part, her shallow character is randomly peppered with unrelated "insecurities." Half the time, I was irritated by her depressing, undeservedly bleak outlook on life, considering most of her problems could be easily solved if she would just step it up in the maturity game.

Jess's past remains a mystery throughout the majority of the first half of the book, which would normally be suspenseful, but quickly became annoying. Throughout, she alludes to two prominent tragedies frequently: the loss of her mother and her best friend (figuratively, not literally)—but when these moments are actually finally revealed, they're very much told, rather than shown! I feel like this rendered the entire conflict void; there was no emotional value or imagery connected to what she kept from readers for so long... an anti-suspense, of sorts.

That being said, The Truth About Us isn't completely lacking in redeeming qualities. Many teen romance novels feature a bad boy hero from the "wrong side of the tracks," but with Flynn, it doesn't feel like a YA trope. While his character is also only described on the surface level, I'm definitely impressed with the depth and conviction Gurtler uses to convey the very relevant and very real socioeconomic divide between him and Jess. I also enjoyed how both characters have their own hardships in their lives—whether in the past or present—that raise the stakes in the plot.

I have to admit I was disappointed by the romance aspect of this book, but that's because I'm a bit of a romance fanatic. If you're looking for a love story that'll knock you off your feet... The Truth About Us is definitely not the answer. Keep on searching. However, if you want a contemporary teen novel that deals with bigger issues than just the wobbly knees and stomach butterflies, I think you'll get something out of this one.

Pros

An easy read; quick to get through // Surprisingly sentimental (in a good way!) and emotional for a light YA novel // Interesting synopsis regarding romance obstructed by class difference

Cons

Didn't blow me away stylistically // Some unrealistic, "too fast, too easy" bits, particularly the underdeveloped insta-love // Jess and Flynn both fall flat as characters // Jess's past isn't explored as much as I would have liked // Rushed, stilted ending—overall unsatisfying

Verdict

Younger teen audiences will be intrigued by this chaste romance story about what happens when a girl who has everything (at least on the outside), meets a guy who lives the kind of poverty-stricken life she didn't even realize existed. While I had some issues with the superficially characterized protagonists and rather plain writing style, I did appreciate the overall conflict that faces real-life problems about social class, friends, and family, that is accented by tender moments of affection and teen love in between

Sunday, July 27, 2014

6 Heart Review: The Sweet Spot by Stephanie Evanovich

The Sweet Spot
Stephanie Evanovich

Page Count: 272
Release Date: July 8th 2014
Publisher: William Morrow (Harper Collins)
Source: Complimentary ARC provided by publisher via tour publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Harper Collins and TLC Book Tours!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

A sizzling story of everyone’s favorite couple from amazing Stephanie Evanovich’s New York Times bestseller Big Girl Panties: hunky professional baseball player Chase Walker and his sassy wife Amanda.

When pro baseball player Chase Walker first meets Amanda at her restaurant, it’s love at first sight. While Amanda can’t help noticing the superstar with the Greek-god-build, he doesn’t have a chance of getting to first—or any other—base with her. A successful entrepreneur who’s built her business from scratch, Amanda doesn’t need a Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. And a curvy girl who likes to cook and eat isn’t interested in being around the catty, stick-thin herd of females chasing Chase and his teammates.

But Chase isn’t about to strike out. A man who isn’t interested in playing the field, he’s a monogamist who wants an independent woman like Amanda. His hopes rally when she discovers that squeaky-clean Chase has a few sexy and very secret pre-game rituals that turn the smart, headstrong businesswoman on—and into his number one fan.

Then a tabloid discovers the truth and turns their spanking good fun into a late-night punchline. Is Amanda ready to let loose and swing for the fences? Or will the pressure of Chase’s stardom force them to call it quits?

Review

"Chase," [Amanda] began steadily, but her voice cracked as soon as she said his name, "you seemed like you really knew what you were doing there."
"I do," he stated, very matter of fact, seemingly engrossed in [his paper], but with the corners of his mouth starting to turn up.
"Like you've done that sort of thing before."
"I have." He grinned, turning the page and scanning it.
"And that if we keep seeing each other, it's something you'll want to do again?"
"I will." He nodded, still grinning.
His two-word, nonchalant answers and perceived lack of interest was starting to completely unnerve her. She hadn't even come out directly to say what she was talking about and he was behaving like they had entered into a pact that only he was privy to.
"What if I don't want you to?"
Chase finally looked up from his paper, his eyes spearing her from across the granite island. "Then you better not be naughty."

The highly anticipated prequel to Stephanie Evanovich's Big Girl Panties, The Sweet Spot is the story of how Chase and Amanda Walker met, fell in love, fell out, and ended up together—detailedly following the fiery couple with very singular tastes that we all know and love from the first book. I was a huge fan of the pair in Big Girl Panties, but was disappointed with them in The Sweet Spot. In BGP, we only had short, sporadic moments with both Chase and Amanda, but whenever we did, they were always funny, always charming, and always erotic. In The Sweet Spot, all of that fades to the background and what we're left with is a rather forceful and obsessed alpha hero, lots of unnecessary angst, and mediocre sex. Evanovich proves in this flashback novel that sometimes, using your imagination to know what goes on behind the scenes is better than actually going behind the scenes yourself.

It wasn't a terrible read, by any means. It isn't outstanding or anywhere near as funny as Big Girl Panties, but it is a simple, predictable boy-meets-girl romance with entertaining banter and a light flavor of kink. Featuring two characters who are feisty in their own way—a dominant, all-American celebrity athlete and a beautiful, fiercely independent restaurant owner—it's rather amusing and a light, airy read, but along those lines, it isn't complex or suspenseful either. The plot progresses very straightforwardly, and there's really no building action or climax; things just happen. Chase and Amanda just do things. There's no real action or development, and that's one of the biggest issues I had with the book.

Obviously, a complication in reviewing this novel is that my opinions are not absolute, but wholly relative. While reading The Sweet Spot, I couldn't help but compare it to Big Girl Panties the entire time—and by compare, I mean bitch to myself about how it wasn't as good as the prior. It just isn't. Evanovich's style is flatter, with lots of telling over showing, and her trademark humor (that I loved in Holly, the protagonist of BGP) just isn't there. I thought the aspect of Chase and Amanda's little bedroom hobby—a little light spanking, nothing explicit—would be sexy at least, but it wasn't. Whatever sexual chemistry that was supposed to be formed between them was completely rushed, and if anything, the "kink" is more of a tongue-in-cheek twist on eroticism; I found it more ridiculous than hot.

Lastly... the one character I couldn't take seriously was the ever-serious Mr. Chase Walker baseball-extraordinaire himself. I know his relentless pursuit of Amanda and over-the-top romantic affections are supposed to show he's the ultimate "alpha male," but they really made him seem corny, pathetic, and REALY CREEPY. –Spoiler alert!– When Amanda initially snubs him, he pretty much stalks her, showing up at her work every day for a few weeks straight, and even getting his security guys to find out where she lives. For a fictional Babe Ruth, he certainly has a lot of time on his hands!! –Spoiler end!– He also has the urge to consistently validate his masculinity by saying things like (verbatim!):

"My ego does not require I have a girlfriend half my size to make me a bigger man. I am already a monster. I do not want or need a woman I can bench-press. I prefer a woman of substance, with softness and curves. One I know is able to handle my passion, one that can nurture my babies."

Babies??????? He's about to bone a girl for the first time and he talks about babies???????!!!

Pros

Quickly paced, easy to get absorbed in // Entertaining banter between Chase and Amanda // Amanda is fun, likable

Cons

Rather disappointing; Chase and Amanda's relationship sounded better in Big Girl Panties than it actually was in The Sweet Spot // Very little character or relationship development // Overall pretty bland; very little excitement, no surprises, no twists // Chase sounds hot, but really annoying; I didn't think very highly of him // Logan is only mentioned once. What the hell is this a prequel for?!?!

Verdict

The Sweet Spot, an account of the coming-together of the fun, flirty couple we first fell in love with in Big Girl Panties, overall was disappointing; it doesn't go in-depth with the relationship that I perceived as sizzling and complicated, and in fact, is rather watery and lacks any plot-forward action. While there are some amusing anecdotes about the celebrity lifestyle, true-to-life struggles with control and trust, and some good 'n' clean spanking (yes, I just said clean! Who knew S&M could be made so proper?), I think I was mainly let down because I expected so much after reading the first book. Stephanie Evanovich's sophomore novel isn't anything grand, but it does serve as a mushy romance between a hunky baseball player and a nice-girl business woman with the tendency to misbehave