Kat Pollock

I have had the same favorite book for many years. It seemed almost impossible that anything would surpass my reigning fave to claim the title of Single Most Awesome Book I’ve Ever Read…and then I found Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell.

Greatest Hits:

I’ve been bothered for years by the popular notion that tragic, edgy stories are somehow inherently more artistic or valuable than happy go lucky stories that have happy endings. Truth be told, I could take or leave most of those stories- I don’t like to be upset. I like happy endings. And its for that reason that I knew I wanted to read this book. I had heard enough about it to know that Rowell would challenge the fantasy tropes I had grown tired of, and my previous experiences with her books told me I was sure to find the characters compelling and downright lovable.

Even with incredibly high expectations going in, this book blew them all out of the water. I loved the characters, the world, the prose. I got swept away in the tide of wonderment usually reserved for someone reading Harry Potter for the first time.

The whole story is built on a foundation of love for fantasy and fanfiction. The characters know the tropes, and the tropes are hungry. Arguably, the tropes are the antagonist.

My Conclusion:

When the world feels too cynical to bear, this book is your “break glass in case of emergency.” It’s wonderful and well written, and a damn satisfying read.

Happy Reading!

-Kat

If you’re looking for a gorgeous comic series that will uplift and entertain you, look no further than new indie series Moonstruck. Featuring adorable, endearing characters, this series will appeal to fans of Lumberjanes and Giant Days. (And if you haven’t read those yet, what are you even doing with your life?)

Greatest Hits:

This series has it all: magic, mystery, nerdy lesbian werewolves… Honestly it’s just plain adorable and it’s great fun to read. My face actually hurts from smiling so much.

If you’re the sort of reader who enjoys coffee shop AUs of your favorite characters, this is perfect for you. In general, anyone who enjoys fun, happy reads is bound to love this. There’s still plenty of plot and suspense, but ultimately the enjoyment comes from simply being along for the ride.

My Conclusion:

You won’t regret running out and buying the first volume of this delightful series. It’s an indie series, so I definitely encourage supporting it anyway you can, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read to boot.

Happy Reading!

-Kat

When I heard that Lisi Harrison, author of the bestselling Clique novels, had written a book for adults, I almost couldn’t believe it. For years I adored her books- they got me through middle school with my head up. So I welcomed the idea of an adult novel from her with squealing enthusiasm. Fans who grew up with her middle grade and YA books are certain to enjoy this new story.

Greatest Hits:

Every single character in this book was memorable. They felt like full fledged people, so much so that each member of the infamous Dirty Book Club could easily star in her own spinoff novel.

The female friendships both between the protagonist and her peers and Gloria and her generation of book club girls took a spotlight role in this book. Harrison writes friendships so utterly compelling that they would stand out in any plot, but this plot gave them the best possible backdrop for their friendships to blossom and grow.

The story unfolded with grace and humor and more than once I startled my husband by bursting out laughing at the dialogue. Harrison’s wit is as delightful as I remembered, and this book was a real treat.

My Conclusion:

Go get a copy of this book- and maybe get copies for your closest friends. By the end of it you’ll be- as the protagonist would say- “champing at the bit” to start your own Dirty Book Club.

Happy reading!

-Kat

Holly Black’s phenomenal new novel, The Cruel Prince, is perfect for long time fans of the author as well as new fans who enjoy brutal and beautiful fairy tales.

Greatest Hits:

As with previous books by Holly Black, the characters are well rounded, morally grey, and witty to boot. The pose is skillfully woven, drawing the reader in to root for the characters even when they cross from morally grey areas to flat out scheming. Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows will likely enjoy the collection of antiheroes in this novel.

With beautifully written and complex relationships rife with tension, it’s easy to become engrossed in the world of the characters. If you’re a fan of the kind of sexual tension that keeps you wondering if the characters are about to kiss or murder each other, this is absolutely the book for you.

If you embark on reading this book, be forewarned: it’s a bloody journey. I’ve read a few of Holly Black’s other books, and they’re violent, but nothing quite prepared me for the level of intensity in this novel, especially the first few pages. It’s a fantastic book by all counts, just be prepared for some Game of Thrones violence. (Okay, maybe not that bad, but somewhere on the spectrum between Hunger Games and Game of Thrones.) In any case, the intensity is spread throughout the book in a way that keeps the pacing excellent. There are hills and valleys and the gruesome things are juxtaposed with beautiful things.

My conclusion:

This book is definitely not a light read, but if you can handle the darkness you will not be disappointed. If you’re looking for a tale fraught with betrayal and blood, this is the story for you. It is fast paced, impossible to put down, and the world is memorable. Holly Black has once again raised the bar for modern fairy tales. Happy reading!

If you’re looking for a good mystery to keep you up at night, leave the light on for M.A. Bennet’s S.T.A.G.S.. Fans of high stakes mysteries like Pretty Little Liars will fall in love with this richly told tale, and anyone who enjoys a little fright with their night should consider carving out some time to read it.

Greatest Hits:

Bennet is a master of suspense, weaving a story that keeps the reader continually unsettled without revealing too much at once. Even as the reader begins to piece the puzzle together, watching the protagonist take the journey is rewarding and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters each leave distinct impressions behind, and I dare you not to think about them long after you’ve read the last page.

The twists and turns kept me hooked from the start, and didn’t let go, even after I finished reading. It didn’t feel too predictable, and I continually found myself surprised by the way the mystery unfolded. I also loved that at some points, the protagonist questioned her perception of events. It felt really honest and believable, because a real person in the situation she’s in would almost definitely try to talk themselves out of believing what was really happening. Similarly, I liked that she had complex feelings toward her wealthy classmates. She obviously has a lot of moments where she sees the corruption that wealth and power make possible, but she also has moments of wishing she had that glamorous life. Again, this felt really believable. The mix of envy and mistrust and desire definitely made her a relatable character.

Without saying too much about the ending, I will say it is FANTASTIC. I was afraid I would come to the end of the book feeling as though things had wrapped up too neatly, and the author skillfully manipulated that feeling, building the plot to a certain point and allowing the reader to become almost complacent before giving information that keeps things from wrapping into too neat of a bow. I loved it, and it was executed flawlessly.

My Conclusion:

Go read this book! If you love mysteries, it will be a wonderful addition to your shelf. If you never read mysteries, it will still take you for a gripping ride. I highly reccomend this book, and look forward to reading anything by M.A. Bennet that I can get my hands on. Happy reading!

-Kat

If you’re familiar with recent YA hits, you’ve probably heard of Caraval by Stephanie Garber. This book was flying off shelves when I heard about it a few months ago, and it actually took me a while to track down a physical copy for sale. Ordinarily, I would’ve bought a digital copy, but this book is such a beautiful object in and of itself, I wanted a hardcover. Fans of Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Gardens trilogy will enjoy this richly immersive world and it’s compelling characters.

Greatest Hits:

I personally love stories that spotlight sibling ties and the lengths characters will go to in order to protect their loved ones. The sisters in this story are unforgettable in their fierce love for one another, and their drive to protect one another propells the story forward. Their backstory serves to inform every aspect of their personalities and actions, which I think is a real strength in this novel. Many times with characters who have tragic or difficult backstories, the background information feels seperate from the characters themselves, almost as though it were about someone else completely. With Garber’s characters, everything in their backstories influences the way they behave and interact with each other and the world.

Another great triumph of this story is the setting. The details are rich and varied, giving the reader a real sense of the sensory experience of the setting. In fact, the setting almost becomes a character of it’s own rather than simply a backdrop. Garber describes the setting and characters with such fine tuned technique that the overall effect feels cinematic. Combined with the suspense, the clever misdirects, and the aura of mystery, the story takes on a life of its own. Readers can hardly help but be engrossed by every new piece of information.

The characters the audience roots for are not the only ones who are skillfully fleshed out. Villains so often fall into two categories: flat characters with very simple motivations and little emotional depth, and well-rounded characters who are at least partially redeemed at some point in the narrative (Think Snape). The villains in Caraval are a species of their own. Like the protagonist, they have fully fleshed out backstories that inform their actions and reactions in the world. In the case of at least one character, redemption is far out of reach. This, however, does not make the character any less compelling or interesting to read about, and I find it very impressive that Garber achieved this in one novel.

My Conclusion:

I await more from this author with great anticipation. Her mastery of fiction writing is evident in every aspect of the novel, and I have no doubt that her future works will be equally gripping. Fans of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma will likely enjoy the intensity of the sisters’ relationship, and anyone in need of a good, immersive story world should check it out. Garber’s world is an opulent escape from reality, and the characters will stay with you for years to come. Happy Reading!

-Kat

Buckle up, lovelies, it’s time to talk about one of my favorite books of all time. Moira Fowley-Doyle’s The Accident Season is perhaps one of the best examples of magical realism that I’ve come across in recent years. Fans of ambiguous magic and not entirely reliable narrators will no doubt find delight in this story, as I have.

Greatest Hits:

The gothic setting of the abandoned house, the weaving of description with imaginative imagery and metaphors (both visual and textual) make this an incredibly immersive story to read. The foreshadowing is done so skillfully that on a first read through, you might not even know you’re being given clues until they begin to tie together.

One incredibly impressive thing I noticed in this story was the romantic tension. Without delving too much into spoilers, what I can say is that the romantic pairings in this story could very easily have come off awkward and forced. The skill it took for the author to write these relationships in a way that felt believable and organic is evident in every scene, every page. Whenever the love interests encounter one another, the book feels electric, and readers are pulled almost magnetically into the midst of their angst-filled character arcs.

Every single character was memorable, to such an extent that arguably, they are all protagonists. In many works, this would’ve made the story feel too vast, too messy to really focus in on. Fowley-Doyle has taken on this ambitious ensemble cast and done it so well that it’s almost possible to forget what a gargantuan task that is for a writer. Even the dialogue, that dreaded thing which so many talented writers fall short on, felt as real and organic as if the author had simply transcribed it from life- as if the characters were alive. And as fantastic as this book was, I have to believe that to the author, they were.

My Conclusion:

Set aside a day to read this book, because you won’t be putting it down until you’ve finished it. This book was thoroghly engaging and perfect for fans of the gothic genre, as well as readers who enjoyed the works of Nova Ren Suma and Rosemary Clement-Moore. Worth buying in hardback or requesting at your local library, this book is one readers will enjoy through multiple reads. Happy reading!

-Kat

Recently I had the pleasure of reading Rin Chupeco’s The Bone Witch. It follows the protagonist, Tea (what a great name, right?) as she discovers and learns to use supernatural powers. If you’re a fan of necromancy, this is the story for you!

Greatest Hits:

This story is as lyrical as they come. The prose style is incredibly lush and feels like the literary equivalent of slipping into a hot bath. Fans of fantasy classics like The Golden Compass will appreciate the way the story unfolds, pulling the reader in with rich characters. Another great strength of this story is it’s visual and sensory details. While a lot of stories could get bogged down with providing descriptions of everything, this book absolutely nails the delicate balance of plot and description.

Possibly the best thing about this book is it’s hero, Tea. She’s fierce and tenacious without falling into the easy cardboard cutout of “strong female character” archetypes, but is instead a fully fleshed out character, written with great care and skill. Tea’s relationship with her mentor is compelling, and the author’s skill with writing interpersonal relationships carries the reader deeper into Tea’s world. The book covers an extended period of time, and yet manages to feel like a slow burn in the best way, allowing the reader to meander through the world and fall in love with it without being hurried along towards the novel’s turning points.

My Conclusion:

This is a beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable book, which unfolds gradually to reveal it’s wonders for readers. If you love rich descriptions and gorgeously written fight scenes, this is the book for you. I personally can hardly wait for the inevitable sequel, and I highly recommend this book!

-Kat