#think all the time about how much work steifvater put into his character

[sunbratz]

maybe its bc i am a villain lover but i will never forgive people for shaming ppl who like villains so hard that it causes the entire conversations around those villains outside of fiction to be toxic to the point that it completely kills the character

[itsthegameilike]

Best of 2019 Reads

I didn’t get to read quite as much this year as I usually do, but I wanted to collect my favorites, anyway, because books always deserve more love. The most love. Without further ado...

Call Down the Hawk--Maggie Steifvater (lgbt) While this book works best if you’ve read The Raven Cycle, I do feel as though it stands alone and separate from the series. It’s magical and intense and profound and it was one of the few books this year that I absolutely devoured. The new characters are fabulous, especially Jordan, and Declan absolutely shines. If you read The Raven Cycle and weren’t sure about this one, it’s worth reading just for Declan. The stakes are high, the dreams are marvelous, and the ending leaves you ready for more.

On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous--Ocean Vuong (lgbt)  I first discovered Ocean in one of my poetry writing classes in college and I never looked back. The way Ocean sees the world is spectacular. The lowest lows are part of his life experience and he transforms them into sublime beauty. His first novel is no different. While largely plotless, more vignettes than anything else, it transformed how I thought of the world for weeks. And there are more than a few passages I’ll never forget. 

The Starless Sea--Erin Morgenstern (lgbt) Like everyone, I could go on and on about The Night Circus, her first novel, and like, I expect, everyone else, I can say with confidence that this book didn’t disappoint. There’s underground libraries, time travel, whimsical romance, an ocean of honey, and secret societies. If I could dream up the perfect novel, more than half of the tropes included in this novel would be in it. It does what the best fantasy does; actually transports you from your living room to a different world, just for a little while.

Small Gods--Terry Pratchett  The first of my recs that wasn’t released this year. I read lots of Terry Pratchett this year but this was by far my favorite. There’s nothing quite like a god who’s been transformed into a turtle and only remembers he’s a god because of the belief of one simple-minded but kind person. Organized religion is examined with care and as with all Pratchett novels, hilariously. The novel finished and I felt like I’d learned more about life than I’d learned in six months of actually living.

A Winter’s Promise--Christelle Dabos This novel is complex and the worldbuilding is extensive and complicated, but the rewards of paying attention and being committed are high. The characters are spectacular, though it takes some time to reveal their many motivations, and the world is even more so. The side characters also shine as every single written character has a decided motive. I devoured this one as well and the second in the series is even better. I would argue if you don’t like the first one, you should still try the second, that’s how good it is. All of the work of the first novel pays off in the second.

On A Sunbeam--Tillie Walden (lgbt) A lengthy graphic novel set in space with some excellent queer representation. It’s been awhile since I enjoyed this one, but I read it in one sitting. The drawings were beautiful and the colors were perfect for the tone of the story and writing. The love story between the two main girls is sweet and soft and heartwrenching and it was perfect to be wrapped up in their world for a little while. This book is like briefly being trapped in a snowglobe.

Spinning Silver--Naomi Novik I enjoyed Uprooted more than I enjoyed this particular fairytale retelling, but it was still worth a read. The main character is resourceful and interesting, the way she goes about navigating world and finding love not quite the path you would’ve expected in the beginning. The world is lush and well developed and the court of the fey is one of my favorite locations in a fantasy novel in awhile. What really sells this book is the ending. The middle can be slow, but it was worth it for the way all the threads come together.

Nevernight--Jay Kristoff I could talk about this novel for-fucking-ever. There are footnotes that can be extremely informative and are often laugh out loud funny. The violence and the language and the jokes can often be crude, but there is so much joy written into them that it hardly matters. The twists and turns of the plot are amazing and there was even one or two I didn’t predict. Mia is such a badass and her quest for revenge is the kind of quest I love to see female characters involved. She gets a storyline few women get, especially in fantasy. Godsgrave, the second novel, is also incredible and puts Mia in an awesome queer relationship. The last novel, Darkdawn, came out this year and was actually a bit of a disappointment, but the series overall is still one of my favorite.

Devotions--Mary Oliver Everyone knows Mary Oliver and I’m not going to pretend this recommendation is revelatory in any way, but this collection got me through some of my hardest days. It’s best read a poem at a day with a good five minute think afterward. You’ll start seeing the world in a different and more hopeful way. Nature has lots to teach you, kids, and so does Mary Oliver.

The Trials of Apollo--Rick Riordan (lgbt) This is a whole series and the fourth one came out this year and if you haven’t read any Rick Riordan this probably isn’t the place to start. But if you’ve read some of him and haven’t yet checked out this series it’s a must. It’s more adult than any of his other ones and the stakes feel so high, that when I started reading the fourth one this year, I could barely do it, I was so nervous. They’re hilarious, as can be expected by Riordan, but they’re also profound. There are a couple of emotional moments that I still get lost in while lying in bed at night and Apollo’s character arc is one of the most rewarding in recent memory.

Red, White, and Royal Blue--Casey McQuiston (lgbt) A favorite of the year on tumblr, I think, and definitely worth all of the hype. I read this in one sitting. It was quick and easy and joyful, definitely an alternate universe that I would prefer we were currently living in. Alex and Henry are both delightful and their romance is poignant, something that gave me comfort as a queer woman. If you need a little light in your life, start here.

Little Fish--Casey Plett (lgbt) One of the hardest books I read this year. It’s an intense look into the life of a trans woman and her friends, most of whom are also trans. And when I say intense, I mean intense. It often hurts. But I loved it for the way the author portrayed her main character. There was so much love and sympathy there. Nothing was held back. It was very clear that this book was the heart of this author. It meant everything to them.

Snow & Rose--Emily Winfield Martin A children’s fairytale that world builds so good that none of the rest of the book even matters. The rest is also good, but I could’ve gotten lost into the world forever. As with all fables, it ends with lessons learned and they’re important and earned lessons. It’s been awhile since I’ve read it, but I remember it being spectacular and well worth my time.

Peter Darling--Austin Chant (lgbt) Not the most well-written on this list, but it is a hopeful read. And the most adorable. This book is entirely for the queer representation, but it is very good representation. It also is a retelling of Peter Pan, which is good fun. It’s short and quick and I finished with a huge smile on my face.

[thetypedwriter]

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater-Book Review

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

        So…you’ve might have heard of this series before. I admit I’m pretty late to the bandwagon. I’ve seen it pop up Tumblr for awhile and I have no idea what Lion’s Den of a fandom I am walking into or how popular these books really are, but I do know that I had a 40% off coupon for Barnes and Noble and nothing in particular I needed or wanted to buy so hence reading “The Raven Boys” and finally this review.

        The first word that comes to mind was: good. I enjoyed it. Enjoyed it enough to buy the next three books in the series which I’ll probably start this afternoon. Like all books that I’ve read recently, this book has more pros than it does cons, which sometimes for the teen fandom is pretty hard to come by unfortunately.

        So let’s delve in.

        One, I actually like the main female character. One of the very sad facts about young adult fiction is that the girl protagonists usually suck, and suck the big one. It pains me to say it, but they are usually whiny, too good to be true, pretentious, boring, or just shittily created. I can probably list on one hand female protagonists that didn’t make me roll my eyes or want to rip my hair out. Blue Sargeant-the resident female protagonist-was actually pretty likeable in my opinion. I liked that she was eccentric but not naturally. She worked hard for that appearance, has no pretenses about being vain, and seems to not care or be embarrassed by her incredibly odd all female psychic family that are also pretty three-dimensional and interesting people. So congrats Maggie Steifvater, you managed to create female characters with depth, complexity, and intrigue.

        As for the Raven Boys, they are all very interesting. While the individuals themselves are a bit cliché (you’ve got the leader, the poor boy who wants to be rich, and the resident badass douche) it was their dynamic more than anything that I found fascinating. With Gansey taking the role not only as the leader, but also their keeper, the trio took on a more meaningful but darker glean. Adam felt like he was Gansey’s plaything and there are several points in the novel where he refers to Gansey liking all of his “things” in one place-things being the Raven Boys. Gansey is also the only one able to “control” or “command” Ronan to do or not do things like beat the shit out of his older brother or cram for an exam. Their dynamic holds friendship sure, but there was also a very obvious undercurrent of power play and submission with Gansey acting as role of master which I found very odd but pleasantly intriguing for a young adult series. Fodder for fanficiton definitely.

        Also interesting was the role of Noah. I don’t want to give away spoilers, because I was actually surprised by this twist, but it was very interesting. Any twist that actually manages to surprise me instead of piss me off or being extremely easy to predict it is also very rare-so thank you again Maggie. I owe you one.

        Last, the plot was always moving. I did think the beginning was a bit slow how it was all about how Gansey conversed and behaved with his friends and the introduction of Blue’s powers and the beautiful small but witchy town of Henrietta, but I found I didn’t mind. The complex relationships kept it fresh and invigorating instead of boring and dull and put emphasis on how important all the connections were.

        Actually, half the time I was a little bit confused and left in the dark about how things were actually working in the beginning. I actually like this writing tactic of not explaining every little thing and leaving readers in the dark to figure it out themselves; and Maggie pulled it off very well-just like Melissa Marr did in her Wicked Lovely series. I like that you first read about Blue in an abandoned graveyard and you slowly start to figure out why and how and what gives. I prefer that technique over authors tripping over themselves to explain every inch and nuance of their one dimensional characters in their cookie cutter world.

        I suppose the only complaint I have was the pacing. Sometimes certain scenes or chapters would be a bit too abrupt, abrupt enough to leave me a little confused and uncertain where things had been left. The ending was a great example. I think Maggie was going for a cliffhanger but instead she created a valley of confusion and what the hell’s. I had honest to goodness thought Adam died in the forest, so imagine my surprise when he was absolutely fine and bought an apartment. It didn’t make much sense to me and I needed more details. It’s a fine line between being left in the dark and being thrown in the dark with a hood over my eyes and no flashlight to speak of. The very ending, as in the last page, was also just plain confusing more so than gasp inducing. I’m hoping that the next book will clear up a lot of the burgeoning questions I have.

Recommendation: “The Raven Boys” is a good, unique read. If you like the dynamics of one cool girl with four boys, psychics, fortune telling, Celtic myths, prep-school-wearing-uniform-boys, and small towns then this is a good book for you. If you like authors to explain what they mean and to always know what is going on at all times this book will haunt you forever.

 Score: 8/10