W(REC)'D
  • home
  • about
    • the site
    • the service
    • the people
    • FAQ
  • reviews
    • reviews
    • goodreads
  • get w(rec)'d
    • get w(rec)'d
    • w(rec)'d lists
  • Blog
  • contact
    • general
    • request form

READING

​reading /ˈrēdiNG/ n.
1. The frequently obsessive habit of bookworms and scholars
​2. (informal) the source of unintentional all-nighters

she said/she said review: stoker & holmes by colleen gleason

9/23/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

The Facts

The Spiritglass Charade and The Chess Queen Enigma
Stoker & Holmes, Books 2 and 3
​by Colleen Gleason

The Reviews

basia

connor

The Spiritglass Charade
Basia rates it 4/5
Connor rates it 4/5
I actually enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed the first one, so this is a solid 4-star rating from me. This book still suffers from the weird lack of editing that I noticed in the last one, and the ending still wraps up far too quickly for my satisfaction (there are several questions to which I'd like the answers--are the ghosts real?!), but my real problem with this book, it will surprise no one to know, rests largely on Dylan's shoulders. I still find him unnecessary and annoying, and in this book he's come to embody one of my most-hated tropes: The Outsider (from another world/time/whatever) brings in practices from their more "advanced" society and uses it to "better" the lives of the poor, ignorant people of the world into which they've stumbled. I suppose this was to make Dylan seem a more necessary plot point, but I honestly still see the point for neither him nor his time travel. He sticks out like a sore thumb, and although he might be meant to, it's not endearing--it's jarring. It's very apparent that he isn't supposed to be there, and I'd greatly prefer it if he wasn't.

That being said, the girls really shine in this book. There was, I felt, more of a balance between narrative points of view in comparison to Scarab, and both Mina and Evaline get to shine spectacularly in their respective fields. They are, quite literally, kicking ass and taking names, and I started the third book immediately after I closed the second, because I wanted to see more of them. (Unfortunately for me, that also means seeing more of Dylan. Ugh.)

Also, there's a puppy, which is enough to make me love any book.
As with Basia, I found this book more enjoyable than the first one. Not only was the case more interesting (although still rather fantastical, at the end of the day--but then, what does one expect from a steampunk tale featuring both the niece of Sherlock Holmes and, more to the point, a vampire slaying teenager?), but I was very appreciative that we got to see more of Miss Stoker's Particular Talents (TM). Mina and Evaline's rather tenuous partnership is bolstered throughout this novel by their lively debates about the existence (or nonexistence) of everything from the UnDead to genuine mediums. They might not be ready to call themselves friends, per se, but the growth in their relationship and mutual understanding made this book a better read than the first. They are both clearly growing in their own areas of expertise, too, which is a delight to behold.

And then we come to the bitter point of the book: Dylan. Once again, our Outsider is stepping into the savior role and bringing his Superior Understanding to matters both trivial and serious. In an otherwise fairly character-driven mystery-esque series, he sticks out like sore thumb. While some of the feats he performs here would be interesting on their own, his presumptuousness in the face of Society's values still rubs me the wrong way. 

Overall, Gleason managed to captivate me from page one--I devoured this entire book in something like four or five hours--and while I felt there were too few scenes with one Scottish Inspector and too many with the American interloper, I will admit the puppy made up for both.

The Chess Queen Enigma
Basia rates it 4/5
​Connor rates it 4/5
This book was, by far, the best of the three. Not simply in terms of content--although this novel definitely felt the most balanced of the three, both narratively and as far as pacing goes--but also in terms of writing. I feel as if, reading these books, I've seen Gleason grow as a writer, and it's lovely to be on that journey with her, even as a spectator. I didn't find myself nit-picking about things as much because there was not much to nitpick. It was a refreshing, sweep-you-along sort of novel that I tore through in a matter of hours immediately after finishing The Spiritglass Charade.

That being said, my main criticism still revolves around Dylan. This isn't so much about his character, as much as he annoys me, but more about his narrative function. Dylan is, to put it simply, a plot device. I don't like him precisely because he feels intrusive and wildly inappropriate in the story. His deus ex machina role continues into Chess Queen, and more than once it left me gritting my teeth. "I can't do anything that would change the future!" he cries, while dashing off to do just that. That's the sort of narrative trope that always bothers me, regardless of whether or not I like the character, and it's sloppily done here. It sticks out in a novel that otherwise feels fairly polished. Dylan Eckhert: the hangnail, so to speak.

I stand by my original, slapdash review of this whole thing: the most wonderful and unexpected thing to come out of this installment was Evaline and Grayling being total bros.

Must I really wait until 2017 for the next one?
After the Dylan-heavy narrative of The Spiritglass Charade, I must admit I found his relative absence in The Chess Queen Enigma most refreshing.

(He still managed to irk me to no end and play the Outsider Savior trope to perfection, though, so don't get your hopes up too high. He's an entirely too convenient character for me to find any enjoyment in his presence.)

And yet--despite that, Enigma is easily the best of the three Stoker & Holmes novels to date. There's an elegance in Gleason's handling of plot and character that was hinted at in Spiritglass and noticeably absent in The Clockwork Scarab: in short, her writing has improved with the series, and witnessing that is an utter joy. While the narrative in Scarab felt a bit scattered and in Spiritglass a bit too wrapped up in Dylan, Enigma handles these more gently. 

The relationship between Mina and Evaline continues to grow as they work on their newest case from opposite ends, but what truly stood out about this narrative was the presence of Inspector Grayling, our resident Scottish detective who also happens to have the most adorable puppy of all time. His relationship with Mina grows, as one might expect, but what struck me as truly revolutionary was the unexpected friendship that arose between Evaline and Grayling. Also, there were some totally great, badass fight scenes in this book for more than just our vampire-slaying heroine. 

In truth, the only downside to finishing both of these within twenty-two hours is that waiting for the next feels agonizing.
0 Comments

punch bowl review: slasher girls & monster boys by april genevieve tucholke

9/21/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

The Facts

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, by April Genevieve Tucholke (ed.)
Basia rates it: 3.75(-ish?)/5
 
When a book has a title like Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, it's a book you know I'll be picking up. This isn't a novel; it's an anthology of short stories featuring, well, slasher girls and monster boys, to be concise. I was intrigued by this concept, and it struck me as something I might enjoy for the same reason I enjoy Brenna Yovanoff stories: she has a habit of including dangerous boys pitted against even more dangerous girls, and I am all about a good story with an ambitious and/or dangerous woman. 

Like any anthology, some of these stories fell a little flat for me; I kept waiting for something more, some big aha, that never came, whereas others had me fist-pumping in my seat on the plane. It's a trial-and-error sort of book, as most anthologies are, but if you're interested in stories featuring leading ladies, strange circumstances, and dark overtones, I'd suggest picking it up and giving at least one of the stories a try. I'm almost positive there's something for you in it.
0 Comments

she said/she said review: the raven king by maggie stiefvater

9/15/2016

0 Comments

 
We, as you might have already gathered from Basia's W(REC)'D post about Sinner, are big fans of Maggie Stiefvater. We were therefore eagerly awaiting the release of the fourth and final installment in The Raven Cycle, and are happy to present our reviews of The Raven King for today's #throwback.

The Facts​

The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater
Basia rates it: 5/5
Connor rates it: 5/5

The Reviews

basia
Reading a Stiefvater book always makes me feel as if I've found a part of myself I thought I'd lost, and closing the book once I've finished leaves me feeling oddly bereft again, as if I can only hold onto the magic for as long as I'm reading the book.

The Raven King is like that, and it is so much more. It is magical and terrible and beautiful and heartbreaking all in one, and my heart aches because this series speaks so clearly to my soul and I will miss it with every fiber of my being. There are unanswered questions but ones that are not so much "plot holes" or "loose ends" but things that allow you, as a reader, to hope.

​It was exactly what an ending should be: it both satisfies and leaves you wanting. I have an indescribable longing after finishing this book, a longing for that something more, but I can't tell you what it is. I don't long for something from Maggie; it's something else, something both related and unrelated to the book and the series as a whole.

​The book hangover is going to be so, so real. Thanks for the ride, Stiefvater. Excelsior.
connor
That's all there is. 

... Or, too put it in many more words: reading Stiefvater is always a curious experience. Something about her prose grabs my imagination so thoroughly that when I finish one of her novels, I feel simultaneously completely listless and completely, utterly content and at ease. 

The Raven King is no different--it's the sort of novel you want to BE. The sort of novel that it takes a series to get to because it takes a series for you to know the characters and for the characters to know each other in the way that makes a novel like this even possible. The sort of novel with the conversations you recognize from your own friendships that run deep and strong and true. The sort of novel that has her characters wrestle to describe the same things you wrestle to describe. 

Everything belongs. Everyone belongs. Every moment is where it needs to be, and when you close this book the last puzzle piece of Henrietta, Blue Sargent, and her Raven boys falls into place. 

Ah, you say. Of course.

That's all there is.
0 Comments

heroine complex

9/9/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

The Facts

Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn
Basia rates it: 4.5/5
​Connor rates it: 4.5/5

The Reviews

basia
This book has everything you could want and then some: varied and interesting women with occupations from blogger to superhero to bodyguard; a tall, curmudgeonly man who wears black; childhood friendships; a healthy appreciation for karaoke. While the beginning takes some perseverance to get through, it's well worth it. In the blink of an eye, it sucks you in and keeps hold of you until you go from narrow-eyed trepidation to wide-eyed obsession.

The beautiful thing is the tone Kuhn uses: equal parts lighthearted and serious, it tackles real issues without detracting from the narrative. It is never preachy or too on the nose but is enough to leave you considering the issues mentioned, however fleetingly. Evie is hilariously direct and bracingly self-aware in a way not often found in millennial narrators. The relationships--platonic and romantic--are approached with a realness that is refreshing, excising the unnecessary cliche dramatics in favor of more relatable, honest conversations.
​
And that's without including the totally great outfits, kickass fight scenes, sex scenes that are equal parts endearing and hilarious, and copious pop culture references that felt apt but never heavy-handed. Not to mention all of the Lucky Charms.
connor
From lady Asian superheroes and pop culture references (which, impressively, did not have the overbearing, heavy-handed feel I've come to expect from such things) to karaoke nights and lady bodyguards to a brooding scientist and childhood friends... I was pretty much destined to love this book.

Kuhn aptly navigates the difficult task of keeping the prose light and fun without sweeping away the struggles and sorrows the characters encounter, making Heroine Complex one of those few novels that manages to tackle the weight of the world--racism! sexism! the male centered gaze! dead parents! absentee parents! disappointed parents! fanged demons from the Otherworld!--without leaving the reader staggering underneath that weight. I was especially delighted to see how deftly Kuhn handles the dynamics of childhood friends, giving them the gravitas I have often noted in my own. The frankness of Evie's narrative voice is refreshing, humorous, and thought provoking. The genuine care and frustration between herself and her fellow characters is much the same. I look forward to seeing what they do after this book.
​
There are also a bunch of kickass fight scenes AND a karaoke match to the death--am I exaggerating? Am I not? Who knows!--and I am ALL about both of those.
0 Comments

nine women, one dress

9/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

The Facts

NIne Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen
Basia rates it: 2/5
I'm honestly not quite sure what kept me reading this book. It felt like a young author's first novel, not the product of a veteran writer. The prose was pretty mediocre, and there were so many exclamation points--almost all narratively, not in dialogue--which is always frustrating. This book is an excellent example of why I am wary of reading novels in first-person: I never got a feeling for the character telling the story--or, for that matter, any character. The prose was simplistic and almost childish at times (probably the exclamation points), with every single "essay" sporting the same boy-howdy, golly-gee sort of tone to it, and the author often gave in to stereotypes, as if we wouldn't believe one of the young women whose story was being told was Southern without her speaking, even narratively, as if she were in a Tennessee Williams play.

The format of the "essays" also annoyed me. Each was introduced with a title, a byline, and occasionally (usually for the women, major side-eye) their age. Furthermore, there were times when the essay-writer would address the reader or refer specifically to their title or byline. It was jarring and disconcerting. It was a self-aware move that only works with some books, and this was certainly not one of them. I picked up this book because it seemed reminiscent of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, to a degree; from the description, it seemed as if it would be a third-person account of where this dress went, that I would consistently follow it on its journey from person to person. That, however, was not the case. So if that's what you're going into this book looking for, steer clear. You won't get it. I was most excited during a scene in which a woman is killed when her cab is swallowed by a sinkhole. I sort of wanted to join her.

To say nothing of the low-key way in which it condones stalking.


I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

I'm still not sure what kept me reading this book. I think it was because I wanted to know what happened to the millennial who was looking for a job.
0 Comments

    Archives

    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All
    Adventure
    Basia
    Chick Lit
    Classics
    Comic Books
    Comics
    Connor
    Currently Reading
    Fantasy
    Feminist Fridays
    Ghost Stories
    Gotwrecd
    Historical Fiction
    Horror
    Literary Fiction
    Magical Realism
    Mystery
    New Adult
    Nonfiction
    Reading
    Reviews
    She Said/she Said
    Steampunk
    Teen
    The Punch Bowl

    RSS Feed

powered by Weebly and tacos
  • home
  • about
    • the site
    • the service
    • the people
    • FAQ
  • reviews
    • reviews
    • goodreads
  • get w(rec)'d
    • get w(rec)'d
    • w(rec)'d lists
  • Blog
  • contact
    • general
    • request form