Flatiron Books

Review: Finale(Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber

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“I don’t think my heart could be safer than in your hands.”

I’m pretty sure Stephanie Garber is related to Legend. She is full of magic and I was swept away by her storytelling. This trilogy is now one of my most recommended series. From the moment I finished Legendary, I knew I needed more. There were so many secrets that needed to be uncovered. Finale did just that.

Finale takes place about two months after Legendary ends. Scarlett and Donatella’s stories aren’t finished yet. They must choose how they wish to live their lives. Will they settle for what they’ve been given or will they fight for what they truly want?

I was so torn while reading Tella’s chapters. Her heart was being pulled in opposite directions. As a 17 yr old, that was a lot to put on her. Her heart was telling her one thing but her mind was pushing her in the other direction. I got whiplash right along with her. Her journey was one of self discovery and who did she really want to be. And I believe she chose correctly, even as her heart was squeezed a few times. She was definitely stronger than most people would be.

He didn’t kiss her as if he’d simply come back to life. He kissed her as if he’d died, been buried, and clawed his way out of the grave and through the dirt just to get to her.

Scarlett’s story took a complete different route than I thought it would. I wanted to shake her a few times. I wanted her to be with Julian and leave everything else alone, but she just couldn’t. As it turns out, her story took a drastic turn that I never saw coming. She had to dig down deep and find the strength to be able to stay on top of everything that was thrown at her. I’m glad she worked through it and made the choices she did in the end.

Now it wasn’t all trials and tribulations, there was also love. So much love. These girls’ hearts were being fought over and it was a battle to the death. AND I LOVED IT. So many swoony moments that had me grinning like a fool. I just love this book and I can’t wait to have it on my shelf!

~Melpomene

Dive into this magical trilogy! Click pic to buy

Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

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Seriously‽‽ Now what am I supposed to do‽‽ This is not how I expected this story to go at all. If you read Caraval, you know how it ended. It wasn’t cut and dry. There was still more fun to be had.

Legendary was an experience. Definitely one of a kind. Magical and mysterious with more jaw dropping scenes than I ever expected. The game has changed. This time, everything is real…or is it…

Romance played a bigger role in Legendary than in Caraval. But while it was still familial, there was way more romantic love throughout it. In fact that’s probably why I enjoyed this one more. Lots of swoony scenes that had me all twitterpated.

Dante had my heart fluttering. I know he was the typical bad boy before, and he had his moments here, but he definitely showed his true colors in this one. Pleasantly surprised by him. And then just plain, downright surprised at him.

Jacks left me with a lot of unanswered questions. There’s so much more to him that we didn’t get to see. But since he’s a master at trickery, I fell under his spell.

Many times I forgot that Tella was only 16 years old. Sometimes she can act like the flighty school girl but most of the time she made difficult decisions that would give us mature adults pause. I really liked her. I think more than her sister even. My heart felt what she felt. It raced when her was racing. It hurt when hers hurt. Part of me hopes we eventually get more from her. Even a little short story. I feel like her story isn’t done yet. She has a lot of life to live.

The conclusion was way more open ended than I was expecting. In fact, it left me reeling. I can honestly say that I’m not sure how I feel. I think I wanted a definitive ending. I wanted a choice to be made…and yet there was. Gah!! I want more!! My head is still spinning.

And I’m editing this now because the author just announced that we WILL be getting a third book! Holy moly. I am so excited now. I need more.

~Melpomene

Grab both books:
Caraval https://amzn.to/2GkC7kG
Legendary https://amzn.to/2pUnTMA

Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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“Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world.”
My goodness!! I am so excited after finishing this book! I pretty must wanna write, “GO READ THIS!” and just leave it at that, but I won’t.

I’ve been told by quite a few people that this book is super fun and intriguing, and will keep you on your toes. And they were so very right. I had so many theories as I was reading. It’s hard to know what’s going to happen when you’re told not to believe anything to you see or hear.

It’s only a game…

Famous last words.

Scarlett and Tella have grown up under the evil hand of their father. In fact, his scenes had me wincing quite a bit. Evil is an understatement. But the girls have a chance to run away to Caraval for a few days and escape their life, before Scarlett is forced to marry someone she’s never met. But things don’t turn out the way that they hoped. The game has a way of changing you, if you’re not too careful.

When Tella is kidnapped, the game gets more real. Scarlett must rely on the help of Julian, the sailor who seems to have an ulterior motive behind his actions, in order to rescue her before the five days is up. Scarlett has always done what needs to be done, in order to protect her sister, so this will push her far beyond her imagination.

As she spends more and more time with Julian, she starts to question everything about him. Romance has no place in this game. By the end, no matter what her feelings are for Julian, it’s all about her sister. Scar will do whatever it takes to find Tella and escape their father.

This is another YA book I’ll be adding to my list. No only is there a sweet romance in the background, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you constantly guessing. A real page turner. In fact, if you liked the movie Now You See Me, then you will like this book. Nothing is real, and yet it is. It’s only a game, and yet it isn’t…

SO.MUCH.FUN.

~Melpomene

Buy Caraval https://amzn.to/2IiEYHh

Review and a Revisit: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

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how-it-alwaysOur very own Thalia reviewed this novel a few weeks ago, but it’s so important I wanted to do another review in hopes that you will pick up this fantastic novel…Plus, I REALLY wanted to review it too! I loved it so much!

I loved this novel. I couldn’t stop thinking about this novel for days on end. I wish so much that every family in the world was as amazing as this family. I wish that every child that felt different had a Nan that went out of their way to make them feel normal. I wish all schools were led with forward thinking leaders that had the best interest of the children in mind.

The truth is, I personally feel, that it’s a vast minority that are like this.

I think I’m pretty open-minded. Or at least I try to be. I feel as if I understand what some people must feel. Reading this novel…well, how naive was I? This book made me see some things from a totally different angle. Yes, it’s one thing to hear an adult say that they always felt different…it’s another thing to actually see a young child going through something so difficult.

This book is so important.

Again, the parents of this novel did an amazing job! I loved them so very much. The siblings, again, A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!! I know parents and families like this DO exist.

However, if I had one complaint about this novel, it’s that the parents did too great of a job. That the siblings were too amazing. That the school leaders were too brilliant. That the fellow students were too perfect.

I don’t know. That sounds horrible. I so loved Claude and Poppy. THEY WERE VERY REAL TO ME…they broke my heart over and over again, and they gave me such joy as well. I want the happiness. I don’t want them to be hurt. I understand they were hurt. However, as in real life, much of the hurt we feel as preteens/teens is in our mind. No, that doesn’t make it less real. It’s still a valid hurt. It’s still a real hurt. I’m just saying that it wasn’t as bad in the school for Claude and Poppy as they imagined it to be. The peer group in the school DID accept them.

I don’t think the real world is like that. I think it’s just as bad as Claude/Poppy imagined it to be…no…I think it’s much worse. I don’t want that to be true…but I am afraid it might be.

That saddens me to say that maybe, for me…and families that are going through this…well…maybe the book was a small disappointment in that regards. It might be hard for the Poppy’s in the real world to relate to such perfect families and friends, when their own family and friends are very different.

I don’t want that to be true…I want the Poppy’s of the world to be free to be themselves. I want them all to be happy at the end.

I don’t know how to reconcile this desire with the reality of so much of the world…

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy it now This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Review: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

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This book made me feel everything at once.  And then it did it all over again.  Sadness.  Confusion. Happiness.  Grief.  Empathy.  You name it, I felt it.  And I almost, note the use of the word ALMOST, cried.  I never cry over books.

Imagine having a child.  Not too much of a stretch for most of us.  But then imagine that child not being what you expected it to be.  Again, not so far off the mark for most parents.  Go deeper, though.  You thought you were getting another boy.  But then…

Rosie and Penn are the best parents.  With four boys, they’ve learned to accept whatever is thrown at them.  Quirks, idiosyncrasies, unusual hobbies and outfits-they’ve seen them all. When Claude comes along, however, they’re faced with something a bit different.  Because while Claude was born a boy, he felt different from a very young age.  He didn’t like typical “boy” things, preferring instead to wear dresses and pretending to be a princess.

So Claude’s parents handle it as they’ve handled everything else their kids have thrown at them, with acceptance.  Claude becomes Poppy.  Sadly, everyone isn’t as accepting as Rosie and Penn and Poppy’s four older brothers.  Secrets are kept and then unkept.  Change begins and then can’t be undone.  Along the way everyone struggles with who Claude/Poppy truly is and will be.

This is such an important book.  Rosie and Penn are the parents I’d want to have, especially if I were just a bit (or even a lot) different from what society expected me to be.  They’re not without faults, but everything they do stems from absolute love.  Their story is a reminder that the world is not a safe place for everyone.  And it’s our job to stand up for the Poppys of the world.

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  This Is How It Always Is