Review: Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld

4 Stars
All in all this was a really fun modernization of one of my favourite novels. There were a few things that seemed a smidge off to me, but otherwise I really enjoyed reading this and, in fact, stayed up late last night to finish it on my phone rather than waiting to finish it today on a bigger screen.
Even though I knew pretty much exactly how this story would turn out (and it followed the original fairly closely even though it did update other aspects), I was still super eager to get to the resolution. Some things felt a little rushed to me [SPOILER: Jane and Chip's marriage was rushed but did make a sort of sense considering she was pregnant and they didn't want to completely hide their relationship until his show aired. And though I was excited when Liz and Darcy finally got back together, I was pretty floored when she asked him to marry her. I was like, "Whoa, whoa, pump the brakes, kids, I mean I know y'all really like/love each other but seriously you're proposing right now? Seems way too fast to me." I don't know, that whole bit just didn't seem to flow very well because I was so surprised that she asked him to marry her and he said yes so quickly. I thought at least they'd declare their feelings and say they wanted to date and maybe discuss where they should move (it also irritated me that Liz was just like "I'll move to Cincinnati since your uber important job is there." Like, girl, you have a good job, too, and really love New York and I'm sure being a highly respected brain surgeon he could find a job pretty much anywhere and it's not like New York doesn't have any good hospitals or whatnot so why we automatically gotta jump to you moving to Cincinnati like your job and life in New York aren't important? I mean, I know you can technically work from anywhere but still, discuss it for have a sec before just being like 'oh, your job is much more important, guess I'll give up my life in New York.' I just really wanted more of a talk before they arbitrarily decide she's gonna move in with him. I did like the detail that they bought a house together instead of just staying in his drab apartment. Anyway, it just felt like they moved a bit too fast. I would've been happier if they'd decided to date and discuss possibly moving to the same city and then in the "four months later" chapters mentioned that they decided to get engaged. Also the last chapter from Mary's POV was kinda weird and off-putting. I enjoyed getting to know her character a little more and figure out why she liked her bowling league so much (also yay for possible asexual representation with Mary--possible because she never directly says it but from how she talks about sex it sounds like she could be--as well as the transgender representation with Ham, which was especially good because it gave the characters a chance to learn and improve and didn't include Wick at all--what a dick--and actually gave Lydia a happy ending rather than the more uncertain one from the original) but it was mostly off-putting because it was the only instance where the story was told from someone else's perspective other than Liz and it was just one chapter. Maybe if there had been other chapters from some of the other sisters' POVs that would've made more sense, but this one just random chapter at the end was super weird to me. Idk it just kinda threw me off my enjoyment of the story for a bit. (hide spoiler)]
Anyway that big, rambling, spoilery bit aside, the only things that really bothered me about the book was the sometimes formal style of writing. It wasn't bad per se, it was just a little off-putting because it wasn't consistent throughout nor was it limited to one or two characters' dialogue. If Darcy had always spoken a little formally, fine I would buy that. But for Liz as the narrator to suddenly have this stilted, formal tone to her narration it threw me off more than once. I know Liz is super smart and clever but it just didn't always seems to fit well in the narration itself.
Otherwise I liked this book and had a fun time reading it. I liked the changes and updates for the most part, especially the changes for the better with Lydia and Kitty's stories. I liked that I probably hated Wick more than the original (he called you his life coach and thought that would be affectionate, Liz. How did you not deck him?) and that in this telling, it left the casting of Darcy as well solely up to Liz. Even the reader (or at least me) could see that most of what Darcy was saying wasn't necessarily as bad as Liz thought it was (though his defense of what he said at the Lucas' was kinda weak tea--"Oh, I was just nervous and didn't want to be set up with anyone and that's why I said Cincinnati was awful and the women were gross"--he just really needed to come up with some better excuse because it didn't completely track). I liked that some modern issues were tackled with a modicum of sensitivity (after Liz said something kinda stupid when she found out about Ham, she then went and did research and figured out how she should talk about such issues and worked to change her preconceptions which was excellent). The reality TV stuff was fun, especially because I'm a huge fan of UnREAL and, like Liz, did not trust the super friendly and understanding producer. I know your game, Anne Lee!
All in all this was a fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice that maintained a lot of what I loved about the original while updating and changing some things for its modern setting. If you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice and don't mind updates and new takes on it, you might enjoy Eligible. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book. I shipped the two main characters so hard (and was very gratified that they didn't spend too much time fighting their attraction for each other), I liked the mystery they were working together to solve, and I loved how fast a read this was for me. I always seem to forget how quick I get into and devour contemporary YA books and how much I enjoy them. Even though this was the second book in the Thunder Road series, it was easy to jump into mostly because I'm guessing that the other books deal with characters who take a secondary role in this book. I liked the tense family dynamics (Breanna's family in particular broke my heart because of all the responsibility and pressure they put on their kids to take care of their siblings was pretty unfair at times) and the motorcycle club aspect was interesting as I really don't know much about that kind of life. I also liked that there were nuances to a lot of the characters, even the villain of the story. All in all, I really liked this story and now want to dive in to the other books in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Walk the Edge.

Review: The Empty Vol. 1 by Jimmie Robinson

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting graphic novel on the whole. The concept--a little sci-fi, a little post-apocalyptic--was good and made for a compelling read. I was invested in what was going on and wanted to keep reading to find out the mystery to this strange, seemingly alien world. I liked the character design for the different groups, it was just weird enough to make them look non-human but not too weird as to be unbelievable, and the artwork itself was good, just the right amounts of desolation and beauty. The theme of the book was interesting, especially with the twist at the end. With a little more work on the character development of the main characters, I think I would've really loved this book. But it was still an interesting story and I did enjoy it and wouldn't mind checking out a second volume to see where the story might go.

Review: Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio and Will Staehle

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC copy of the book.

A very fun MG book with cool illustrations (though some in my arc copy were unfinished, but even unfinished they were still pretty entertaining) and a sweet, entertaining story about an odd-looking boy and his old family hotel. I enjoyed the twists, the humour, the adventure, and, most importantly, Warren, the plucky hero who suffers through cruel relatives, lots of work as the hotel's only bellhop, and crazy intrigues as he's beset by evil witches and treasure hunters searching for the All-Seeing Eye. Definitely a fun read for young and old alike.

Review: Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, Taki Soma, and Robert Wilson

5 Stars Please, Kelly Sue, can I have some more? This was a seriously fun/clever/sad/intriguing/enraging story that ended far too soon for my liking. Even though there wasn't a lot of backstory about the characters, the little that we did get in this first issue was very intriguing (I love Penny! . I enjoyed the world-building and how it was similar to reality but had some little quirks to make it darker and creepier even though on the surface it seems bright and cheery. I especially liked all of the little pop elements with the fake ads at the end of every issue and the retro-esque covers. But my favourite things about this graphic novel were the N.C.'s (Non-Compliants, i.e. the women in prison on Bitch Planet), the whole crazy, flawed, wonderful bunch of them and the feminism that was gritty and real and, most importantly, intersectional. After reading some other reviews and hearing that the individual comics had essays about feminism in the back, I was a little sad that the trade copy I received from NetGalley didn't have them (p.s. thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC because I have been dying to read this and waiting for a copy through the library has been agonizing), but it did have some interesting discussion questions at the back and a notation for an article so that was kinda cool. So if you're looking for a sharp, insightful comic that tackles issues like racism and sexism and exploitation and even the messed up penal system, try this one on for size.

Review: Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

5 out of 5 Stars

This. Book. Was. Excellent!
I had heard great things so I was super excited to get an early review copy (thanks Netgalley and the publisher for that), and I was not disappointed. Westerns aren't usually my thing (book-wise at least. Love western movies and TV-John Wayne, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Blazing Saddles, Firefly, Bonanza-my mom's fave, etc., but I don't tend to read many western genre books), but I really loved this one. The feel of it was so spot on, from the dialect (which can make or break a book and in this case it made it. Seriously just reading this book silently to myself had my accent getting thicker and more country all the time) to the descriptions (so unique and evocative) to the action (nail-bitingly good) to the characters to the plot to EVERYTHING!
I loved the push and pull between Kate and Jesse especially but also between Kate and Will and Jesse and Will. The twist at the end was one I did not really see coming but still felt like it worked overall (the hints, though subtle, were there so that when the reveal happened I, along with Kate, was like "oh and that's why...oh"). Also I cried at a certain scene mostly because of how sudden and unexpected it was (but it is a western so I should have been prepared for more carnage and destruction).
The resolution was good and satisfying, even a little sad, and I enjoyed it. My only complaint was one tiny thing at the end

when Jesse was just like, "Uh peace out" and then came back and kinda explained himself. I don't know, it just felt like he needed a smidge more explanation before Kate would just go with it. I kinda understood his reasoning but I just needed a little more to really sell it. Or I just wish Kate would have been her usual blunt and bullheaded self and asked him point blank why he wanted to split up so suddenly when they left Waltz's but I can understand why she didn't as she was no doubt feeling very vulnerable with what happened just before the big shoot-out. I was happy that they got a happy ending because I shipped them so hard from pretty early on. Love a dislike-to-like relationship. But it's a very minor gripe; his explanation just felt a touch rushed to me in the end

. Otherwise I super loved this book and might just have to buy myself a copy.
Please, writers, bring me more westerns like this because I could be a western book convert easily with material like this to work with.

Review: Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

Well gee thanks, Margaret Stohl for GOING AND BREAKING MY HEART!
This was a fun, entertaining story that looked into Natasha Romanoff's past as well as into some shady dealings of the Russian baddie who helped make Natasha the agent she is. I liked the new characters (Ava and Alex, I'd like to give you both hugs) and seeing familiar faces (Coulson and Tony Stark, so fun) and all of the action and adventure. My only complaints were that sometimes the action could seem a bit clunky or confusing (which could've been because I was reading the e-book arc and possibly that was due to formatting errors), but on the whole I was able to follow the scenes very well and most of the action read as very practical and believable.
That ending though? Ouch (in the emotional punch-to-the-gut kinda sense). I knew something bad was going to happen thanks to all the end of chapter DOD hearings with Natasha, but it still hurt.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review. And thanks, Margaret Stohl for capturing a character I love a lot very well...and also hurting me in the process. Now can we have another please and thank you? :)