Review: Kill the Beast

Kill the Beast by Serena Valentino
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

This reimagined history of Gaston paints him as not a villain, but the devoted and thoughtful best friend to the prince-turned-beast. While that might make you think that Gaston deserves and will get a better fate than the original Disney story gives him, all this true history does is make it extra sad to see his final days play out.

Gaston’s memory wiped, the curse turns him into an arrogant, narrow-minded braggart, obsessed with Belle and killing the beast he thinks he remembers killing his parents. Of course, none of this is his fault - Gaston isn’t even targeted for a curse because of his deeds. No, he is a sad side effect of the true villains of this story, the odd sisters, who can see the past and future (as it stands in the present) and are intent on shaping things to their will. They want to the prince to be punished, and not break the curse or receive his happy ending with Belle, so they manipulate Gaston’s mind, driving him crazy with the need to kill the beast, save Belle, and have her to himself. In one page, he forgets his friends and family, his whole entire past, and who he really is. Because *magic.* This man whose kindness we see in action throughout almost his whole life dies as a subpoint in someone else’s story. That’s the true tragedy.

I can’t say I loved reading this book, but that’s probably because I had a feeling how it was going to end and was dreading that conclusion. I’m also not a big fan of stories where we’re told “bad things are going to happen, just wait.” Also, this part is my fault but I didn’t realize the stories in this series intertwined and referred to one another, so it’s much more confusing to read them out of order. This one was a gift, and I assumed it was a stand-alone retelling of Gaston’s story, which it is not. Also, why would you make me like someone and then torture them? 😭 The universe of this series is clearly complex and intertwined, and I can see a lot of people loving that aspect of it, but I’m not sure it’s for me.

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We'll Prescribe You a Cat

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Cats can solve most problems.”

A series of connected stories about the therapeutic power of cats, even when they are ripping up your important paperwork, meowing all night, sleeping on your face, ignoring you, wrestling with each other, eating plants they shouldn’t, and sneaking out into the night. Each of the people who come into the mysterious clinic are dealing with some heavy life issues and think talking to a professional will help. They’re not wrong, but none of them expects what he prescribes - a specific number of days, each with a particular cat. Somehow, this doctor and his nurse know exactly who needs help and what cat will help them best. Maybe it’s magic, or maybe it’s intuition? It’s not until the last story that we start to get a picture of what exactly has been going on here. (Though it’s still not exactly clear haha.)

It was stressful to be in most of these characters heads - they were sad and frustrated and lonely and angry and just generally discontented with life. But that dismal headspace did provide for a radical translation once they spent some time with their cats. Each person was able to gain a new perspective on life, started treating themselves and those around them with more kindness, and most ended up adopting a cuddly companion, either their prescribed cat or another, if theirs wasn’t available.

Of course, the overarching story is who exactly is this doctor and why do they have doppelgängers wandering around the city? I loved what we ended up discovering about these two, though their story did make me quite sad. There’s truly nothing like a cat, especially one you are deeply connected to.


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Review: Reputation

Reputation by Lex Croucher
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

This is a romance, but it’s not a romance. There’s a woman and a man who both like each other and eventually say those things and figure things out, but honestly, that’s not what stood out to me about this book. The core of this book is friendship: wanting it, finding it, figuring out how to be good at it. And trust me, no one in this book has it all figured out.

Georgiana has spent her life feeling like no one really cares a thing about her, like life is just going to pass her by while she shrivels up and dies, alone in a drawing room. So it’s a pretty heady feeling for her when she is not only noticed by the fancy, rich, sophisticated Frances, but actually becomes friends with her and her wild friends. And they do actually become friends, because what else can you call a person you tell your deepest secrets to, whom you trust to hold your hand and be there for you in your darkest moments. Of course, just because Georgina and Frances are friends doesn’t mean they are *good* friends to one another.

In the midst of all this, Georgina is doing a bit of growing up - sure, it’s a rush when you say whatever you happen to be thinking and everyone around you laughs and appreciates it, but what of the consequences of your words? Georgina gets a hard look at herself from the outside, and doesn’t always like what she sees. There’s a bit of Emma in these realizations she’s having, finally understanding that she can choose to be kind instead of cruel, thoughtful instead of thoughtless. One of my favorite moments was when Georgina went to visit Betty and apologize, not expecting anything in return. “I forgot what I had promised you and then, instead of giving you the apology you deserved, I was terrible to you. I know you are always inclined towards forgiveness, but my behavior was truly unforgivable, and no one would speak badly of you if you never spoke to me again. If you’ll let me though, Betty, I want to make it up to you.”

Throughout this whole friend/debauchery/forgiveness journey, Georgina meets and falls for Thomas, who is as kind and thoughtful as he is handsome. Of course, Thomas has his own past that he’s dealing with, and I won’t go into those here, but I love all of his and Georgina’s interactions, especially the adorably flirty letters they send back and forth, and you can tell that they truly enjoy and care for one another, so I was relieved every time he showed up. (Except that time Betty was drugged and he was looking at Georgina with such disgust. He was giving me such Knightly vibes, when he was shaming Emma for her cruelty.) Together, Georgina and Thomas make one another better, and make each other’s lives happier, and I think that’s the most you can hope for.

This book has so many funny moments, it would be easy to call it a rom-com, but I have to mention there are some dark things they are dealing with as well. There’s heavy alcohol and drug use that results in both risky and bad behavior, as well as in death (previous to the plot of this book, but it’s an impact). There’s also the heavy implication that sexual assault is happening yet being treated very casually, because the men in their circle know if the women say anything, they’ll be ruined. And then it’s not just implication: Frances doesn’t say she was raped, but she clearly didn’t consent to what Jeremiah did to her, and Georgina clearly didn’t either. I understand why Frances was still intent on getting Jeremiah to propose, being unwilling to open herself up to the ruination of her reputation. It feels really modern for Georgina to take a stand and tell the truth, and have so many people backing her, but I’d like to think that women standing up for women happened for real back in the regency period. Jeremiah might not have gotten the punishment he deserved, but that final confrontation at the church graveyard was quite satisfying: not only does everyone get to see what he’s really like, Betty knocks him out!

There’s also the whole Frances and Jane of it all - it might be acceptable for Jonathan to see men and maintain his independence, but for women, who are so dependent on their male relations in that misogynistic culture, they can’t always just *choose* not to marry. Luckily, this one gets a happy-ish ending, too.

Overall, I really enjoy Lex Croucher’s humour and style, and the way they bring a modern sensibility to historical fiction, without filling the pages with outright anachronisms. There are lots of fun little pop culture references littered in there that made me laugh, but at least no one tried to make fetch happen. I can’t wait to keep reading more of their books.

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Review: Finding Her Edge

Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A sweet (is slightly stressful) coming-of-age romance featuring competitive ice dancers, a love triangle (love quadrangle?) where you love every one of them, and a second-chance romance to make you swoon. I love pretty much anything to do with sports, and really enjoy watching ice skating, especially the ice dance category. I definitely understand what Adriana was talking about when she said her dad didn’t see ice dancing as being as serious or prestigious as singles or pairs, and I think that’s often because it doesn’t have the flashy jumps. What it does have, though, is intricate footwork, incredible lifts, and so much emotion and chemistry, I’m pretty sure every successful ice dancing pair has either dated or dealt with dating rumors. It’s only in the past few Olympic cycles that I’ve come to appreciate ice dancing more, and it’s now my favorite to watch.

I could see why Adriana was struggling figuring out her feelings for her partner Brayden and her former partner Freddie. When you spend so much time together, trust one another, and genuinely like each other, those feelings are absolutely real, even if you aren’t in love. Adriana’s feelings for Freddie were also complicated by the intense guilt she felt at switching partners and breaking his heart when they were 14, and regardless of where their romantic relationship ended up, those two needed to talk through everything that happened back then, and how they feel about skating with other partners now. I also understand Brayden’s frustration and fear at the situation, especially once it becomes clear that he has real feelings involved, too.

One of the things I loved the most about this book was how supportive everyone was of one another, even though some of them were competitors. As much as they each wanted to win, and worked hard to do their best, they also wanted their friends to do well. I’m not sure I have the maturity for that, haha. The only thing about the competition that I would change is we didn’t need to know who won in the epilogue. I would have much preferred a sudden stop before the results were revealed.

I also love that Adriana (and her little sister Maria) had l caring and supportive adults around them like her coach Camille and their agent Charles, especially with how distant and financially predatory her dad is. I can’t say I loved her older sister much, but I can see how her attitude and actions were greatly influenced by being under their father’s influence and the pressure of having to “carry on the family legacy” for so long.

All in all, a fast-paced, emotional read full of the joy of young love, and the angst of unrequited love. Also, no wonder I loved this, I just read it was inspired by Persuasion! And I totally see it! ❤️

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Review: The Mercies

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

A heartbreaking and chilling story of a town broken by grief, rescued by the fortitude of strong women, and ruined by hysteria, sexism, religious intolerance, greed, jealousy, and the heady weight of power. Before this book, I didn’t know that the witch trials of the 1600s had spread as far as the northern coast of rural Norway.

In many ways, the story of Vardø is similar to what happened in Salem. Women who were uncontrollable or non-conforming to social norms, or those who had something those in power wanted, were targeted and accused of witchcraft, tortured until they confessed and accused others, and murdered. Other women were encouraged to accuse those around them that they either suspected or didn’t like, and often it was petty reasons why these women were targeted - she had the biggest house, or she wore pants and went to sea, or she was never good enough for my son. Once one person accused, there was a snowball effect, until a mob was formed. And once it was started, it was almost impossible to stop.

What sets Vardø more apart was the unique makeup of their community, and the unimaginable grief these women were living with after the deaths of almost all the men of their town: husbands and sons ands fathers and friends, all lost in a split second. Their lives were irrevocably changed in that moment, their personalities and fates altered. The runs that were minor annoyances became major fissures, breaking the community in two and providing the perfect atmosphere for chaos once a man like Absalom Cornet came to town, intent on seeing witches around every corner and dark magic in every rune stone. Absalom was more focused on his rise to power and influence, both in reputation and physically over his wife, than in finding the truth of Vardø.

There is so much sadness in this book. Maren loses her beloved brother and father (and also her betrothed Dag, though she’s less brown about that), and also slowly loses the closeness she thought she shared with her mother and sister-in-law, Diinna. Kirsten loses her husband (whom she clearly loved), does her best to keep her village going, saving them from a slow starvation, and is rewarded with accusations, torture, humiliation, and murder. Ursa is basically sold to her husband, taken from her family and the only home she’s ever known to the wilderness, and has to live carefully so as not to upset her cruel and irrational husband, who repeatedly rapes her in the babe if marital duty. I don’t want to dwell on that though.

What I want to remember from this book are the moments of kindness. Kirsten and Maren becoming friends as they work to catch fish and feed their village. That moment when baby Erik was born and I thought Maren had a chance of getting her family back. Maren and Ursa’s sweet connection, the way they gently helped and comforted one another, the peaceful way they felt around one another. Maren was clearly in love with Ursa almost from first sight, and watching Ursa fall for her, too, was a small light in the dark. Their moments together of truth and honesty and love were so meaningful and revelatory. I’m glad they at least have those memories to cherish.

This is not an easy book to read, but it is worth the effort and agony. The joy always is.

“Her thoughts are of Ursa. How she was the first and only one to ever know her. How that is enough.”

“Oh, God have mercy on us. We have begun it and cannot end it.”

“Even writing at a distance of 400 years, I found much to recognize. This is a story about people and how they lived before why and how they died became what defined them.”

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Review: First Love Languages

First Love Language by Stefany Valentine
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

A heartfelt coming-of-age story about a girl still reeling from the loss of her father and missing a connection to her biological mom and her Taiwanese heritage. You can tell that Catie’s yearning for family connection was something the author truly felt, and how much losing her first language, Mandarin, affected her after moving to the US after her parents’ divorce. This would be a great book for someone who is looking to connect with their heritage or someone who is trying to find themself as they grow and learn about what’s truly important to them to live a happy life.

This book was a little difficult for me to read at times, because Catie was kind of all over the place - worried about moving, about finding her bio family, about hurting her adoptive mom, about her job, about Toby, about learning Mandarin, about the stupid lies she was telling. I get it, it’s a lot to deal with. But I wanted to sit her down and say, “Just be HONEST with people.” I guess that’s what she eventually learned; I just wanted her to do it faster, haha.

There were a few elements I didn’t love as well. I’m not a fan of the book The Five Love Languages, and I’m not sure I would have picked this to read if I had known it would be such a focus. I appreciate Catie mentioning her dad had updated parts that were outdated in his copy, but he clearly valued it. Maybe that’s because of his Mormon heritage? I also didn’t love how much the Mormon church played a role in this book, but I would guess that’s an integral part of the author’s story, as well, and why it had to be included. I appreciate that Catie’s family has taken a step back from it, and it was nice to see some queer representation with Mavis, Alex, and others.

The other part I wasn’t sold on was Toby and Catie’s relationship, but that’s possibly because they seem so young to be professing love for one another. They clearly like hanging out and are drawn to one another, each finding the other very attractive, as well as good company. I get why Catie was nervous to tell Toby the truth about her non-existent boyfriend, but Toby seemed irrationally angry about it for way longer than I thought he would. And then suddenly, because he saw what Catie wrote about falling for him and admitting to the lie, he was suddenly ok with things? Seems a little too much of a switch.

Also, there are some inconsistencies with how Toby’s feelings are presented. When they are having their real first date at his house, he says, “Sorry for being too dense to see that I’ve had a crush on you since our first practice date. But I guess it took being with the wrong girl to make me realize I’d rather be with the one I love.” But like two seconds later, he says, “Ever since our first practice date, I’ve wanted to tell you that… and I’ve wanted to kiss you.” He also wrote her that letter in Mandarin the night after their almost-kiss and said, “Even though you have a boyfriend, I still fell in love with you.” So, I wish Toby’s feelings had been more consistently presented when everything was out in the open.

Regardless of the few issues I had with the book, I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a story about connecting with your biofamily, especially one overseas, dealing with the loss of a parent, and finding first love.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
#10 in the Wayward Children series
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

Another fantastic novella in the Wayward Children Series, this one following Nadya, a Russian orphan adopted by an American couple who wanted a virtue-signal and not a real child, who one day falls through a door in a lake and finds a real home and a real family, who loves her for who she is. In Belyrreka, Nadya is seen as perfect as is, not in need of fixing; and even though the River eventually gifts her a right hand, it’s a help, not a necessity.

In the land beneath the lake, Nadya grows up and becomes a kind, adventurous, caring person. She falls in love and gets married, and has many ties to Belyrreka: her mother Ina, her husband Alexei, and most of her, her best friend and beloved turtle Burian. She is sure of her life, and happy in it. But she’s also a hero at heart, always helping others and putting them ahead of herself. If you’ve read the rest of this series, you’ll know that heroes are often returned to their original world, whether they want to be or not. And we’ve also seen Nadya’s future: it’s not happy. I knew she was going to be returned to her old life, but I didn’t expect her to return to the body of a 10 year old (or I’d forgotten). That seems especially cruel: to have years of physical growth stripped away, on top of being forced back into a life you didn’t want with people who don’t truly love you. I definitely recommend this whole series, but you could read this one as a standalone if you want. You just wouldn’t have as much knowledge of how the doors between different worlds works, or any knowledge of Nadya’s future. But I hope you read the whole series; it’s full of so much joy and heartache, affirmation and pain. It will make you feel all the feels.

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