Review: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by AS King

Title: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future
Author: AS King
Publisher: Little Brown BYR
Release date: October 14th 2014
Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult
Source: BEA 2014
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Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying: A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was ridiculously excited for this book. I would read anything with AS King's name on it, but the fact that the novel addresses feminism meant I knew I had to read this immediately. And luckily, Glory O'Brien's History of the Future doesn't disappoint - it made both booknerd-Hannah and feminist-Hannah happy, which is not an easy task. This is an important story, and I loved it.

Glory O'Brien is an amazing character. She's been through a lot, and she has a lot of issues to work out: her pain and her struggles are palpable throughout the story. She's easy to relate to, and I definitely felt for her. AS King really has a knack for writing messed-up characters in such an honest, realistic, and relatable way, and she's done it again in Glory O'Brien's History of the Future.

The secondary characters are well-written, too, even though there's a pretty small cast. I loved Glory's family storyline: her dad is another character I couldn't help but feel for, and I'm glad AS King focused so much on Glory's relationship with him. Even though she died long before this story starts, Glory's mother plays an important part as well; I loved getting to know her through her pictures and writing. Then there's Ellie, who is the most intriguing best-friend character I've read in a while; her background may seem kind of random, but it adds a lot to the story, and I love how their families' histories are connected. And of course, he's a love interest; even though the romance is only hinted at and never takes center stage, he is a fascinating character as well.

The whole seeing-people's-history-and-future-because-she-drank-a-bat thing is very strange, and I didn't know how I would feel about it going into the story. I still don't quite understand how exactly that works: how it's decided what parts of the history or future she can see, whose history and future she can see, and how exactly she saw these things. But because it's such a strange phenomenon within the story as well, and Glory doesn't understand these things either, it sort of worked. My only issue with it is that it seemed a bit too convenient that she almost always saw things related to the Second Civil War, rather than things in the more immediate future or just random, irrelevant details.

I'm a bit on the fence about the story of how the future unfolds in Glory's vision. The set-up is fascinating, and it definitely would have made for a great dystopian novel. But to me, it wasn't quite enough of a story: I know that's hard with this format, but I wanted more details on how, exactly, all of this happened; I wanted more details in the book Glory writes, even though I know Glory doesn't actually know any more details either. Then again, the story isn't necessarily about how all of this unfolds, even if there's a strong moral related to these events. It's just about Glory, really, and although it frustrated me we couldn't get to see more of the action in the future, I also appreciated to just get to see Glory evolve over the course of the novel.

And of course, the novel gets major brownie points because feminism. I don't think I've read a single YA book other than this one where the main character openly calls herself a feminist. I love love love how her whole family is all about feminism, and how Glory calls people out on their gender role bs. But being who I am, I did have a couple of issues with Glory's feminism. She constantly slut-shames her best friend Ellie, and she has a somewhat sex-negative attitude that I don't agree with, like when she tells Ellie not to show as much cleavage and when she immediately assumes that women in sexually explicit media have no self-worth. But I understand that that's part of the story, and nobody's perfect. And in terms of feminism, Glory O'Brien is so much better than the books I usually read that I can't even complain.

I did have some issues with the logic behind Glory's transmissions, and I wish the story of how this world gets so messed up had been explored more. Nonetheless, I really really loved this book: with powerful writing, complex characters, and a unique story (and references to feminism that made me happy), Glory O'Brien's History of the Future is a book you shouldn't miss. 

Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Title: Open Road Summer
Author: Emery Lord
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release date: April 15th 2014
Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult contemporary romance
Source: Bought
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After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. 

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I had a gut feeling that this book would be great, and I'm so happy it turned out to be true! The setting could have been really cheesy, but it totally works. A summer on a tour bus is reads like a road trip on... some drug that makes everything more intense. (Sorry. I should work on my metaphors.) I absolutely loved getting insights into the world of fame and music - Open Road Summer has the drama and the glamour from those books-about-rich-people series  that I loved in middle school, but it also has the depth and insightfulness I love today. I loved getting to read lyrics from Lee's and Matt's songs - those made their music feel so much more real. I just loved everything about this set-up!

Asides from this original set-up, the characters are what makes this book so special. I know Reagan is not the kind of narrator that will resonate with every reader, but that's exactly why I loved her. She's not your standard contemporary YA girl; she has a history of messing up and getting in trouble, and she's tough as nails. She's put walls up around herself, which is why I loved being inside her head and getting to see behind those walls. Her issues are real, and I loved the character growth of working through them.

The only problem I had with Reagan is her girl-on-girl hating. She constantly talks about how she's not like other girls, and she talks shit about every female character other than herself and Dee. And of course most of this criticism is focused on physical appearance. The slut-shaming and criticism of pretty much every outfit mentioned is not cool. I get that this is part of Reagan's strong personality and the result of her abandonment issues and whatnot, so it didn't bother me quite as much as it usually would. But no matter what the circumstances, this sort of attitude perpetuates harmful ideas about femininity and conveys a very problematic message.

One of my favorite elements (yes, another one) was Reagan's friendship with Dee. Their friendship is strong and supportive, but it's also not perfect - I loved reading about the ups and downs in their relationship, but seeing how they're always there for each other when it really counts. The element of fame provides a unique spin on the theme of friendship, and it was fascinating to see how these different lifestyles affect their relationship but never break the strong bond these two have.

Then there's the romance with Matt. Their initial attraction is strong, and they have great chemistry. Towards the middle, I had some issues with the way their relationship develops - because of the walls Reagan has built around herself, she rejects Matt again and again, but he continues to pursue her. Because we are inside Reagan's head and see that she's only rejecting him because of her own issues, it seems like this is okay. But really, pushing someone again and again after they have said no multiple times is anything but okay. The way that Matt says he won't give up until he gets Reagan is creepy and entitled. Within the context of Reagan's emotional barriers, this makes sense, but again, it still conveys a problematic message. Anyways, once Reagan "gives in" to Matt (blegh), I really liked their relationship - I loved reading about the two of them opening up, and their chemistry is great.

One more thing. What is up with that cover? Yes, it's really pretty, but it makes NO sense with the story. The book is set on a tour bus, not on a bike trip in a grassy field. It's a cute cover, and it caught my eye, so I guess it did the job... I just wish it actually represented this story.

In case I didn't make this clear - I absolutely loved Open Road Summer. With a unique set-up, a strong main character, and a great theme of friendship, Open Road Summer is one of my favorite reads of the summer. I loved Emery Lord's engaging writing, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

The Best of Me Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the movie version of The Best of Me, Relativity Media is giving away two copies of the movie tie-in edition of the book!

This is what The Best of Me is all about:

Based on the bestselling novel by acclaimed author Nicholas Sparks, The Best of Me tells the story of Dawson and Amanda, two former high school sweethearts who find themselves reunited after 20 years apart, when they return to their small town for the funeral of a beloved friend. Their bittersweet reunion reignites the love they've never forgotten, but soon they discover the forces that drove them apart twenty years ago live on, posing even more serious threats today. Spanning decades, this epic love story captures the enduring power of our first true love, and the wrenching choices we face when confronted with elusive second chances.
The Best of Me stars James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato. In theaters October 17.

And make sure to check out the trailer:



You can like the movie's Facebook page here.

Giveaway rules:
- Must be 13 or older to enter.

- Open to US only.

- Open for one week; giveaway ends October 13th at midnight. The winner will be contacted by e-mail. They will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.
- I am not responsible for items lost or damaged in the mail.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!!!

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Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Title: The Jewel (The Lone City #1)
Author: Amy Ewing
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: September 2nd 2014
Pages: 358
Genre: Young Adult dystopian
Source: BEA 2014
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The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.
Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.
Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Jewel. It was pitched as The Handmaid's Tale meets The Selection, which I thought was a really strange combination - the first makes me think of a thought-provoking story and feminist message, while the latter was kind of objectively horrible but still really entertaining. The Jewel ended up being more The Selection and less The Handmaid's Tale, but that's not necessarily a bad thing - the worldbuilding and morals aren't as strong as they could be, but it was definitely an entertaining read.

The concept is pretty standard for dystopian YA, but I thought it worked, although that might just be because I haven't read too many dystopians. The set-up is pretty basic, but what really made this world stand out to me (other than being dominated by women, which I'll talk about later) are the Auguries. I'm not usually a fan of fantasy elements creeping into another genre, and if I'd known about them in advance, I probably wouldn't have read the book, because anything paranormal usually just isn't my thing. But in The Jewel... it totally works. Somehow, the magical powers of the surrogates are woven seamlessly into this world, and they were fascinating to read about.

Asides from the Auguries, though, the worldbuilding does need some work. There is no explanation of how the world got to this point, which is kind of important when you're writing a dystopian set in a world so completely different from our own, I would think. Along with that goes my complaint that the whole idea of the female-dominated society is not explored enough. I absolutely love the idea of exploring what would happen if the women, instead of the men, like in The Handmaid's Tale, were in charge of buying these surrogates to carry their children. The gender dynamics in The Jewel is definitely interesting, because royal women are the ones who rule this world (or country, or city, or wherever we are), but other women are literally sold as objects. This background could have provided such a great way to explore gender roles and their implications, but that just doesn't really happen; we just don't get enough insight into how this world works on a larger scale and how it came to be this way.

The characters also could have been more complex. Violet is an okay character, but her feelings could have been explored in more depth. The Duchess is an intriguing character, and I hope we will get to see more of her in the next book. Ash is a very underdeveloped character; he is such a disappointing love interest. I understand that Violet is lonely and that he is the only one who really sees her as a person, but still, I just couldn't handle the amount of insta-love. Ash barely has a personality, and the two of them don't have enough chemistry. This is especially problematic because Violet's love for Ash is supposed to be one of her bigger motivations in the novel, and such a meh love interest did not seem worth risking so much over.

That being said, I did really enjoy The Jewel, even if I can't really pinpoint why, exactly. There was just something addicting about the story. I wanted it to keep on going and going, and was so disappointed it ended so quickly. The writing is simplistic, but asides from the underdeveloped characters and worldbuilding, I didn't mind, because it worked to tell this story; it was simply a fun read.

I know my review sounds very negative, and stylistically, I had a lot of issues with The Jewel. But, to be honest, just like with The Selection, I didn't really care - both are fun reads, and nothing more, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm kind of sad the aspect of the female-dominated society isn't explored more, but other than that, The Jewel is an entertaining read. Don't go into this looking for anything more, but if you just want to be entertained, The Jewel is perfect escapist reading!

New Releases October 2014

New releases:

Bleed Like Me by Christa Desir: October 7th

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez: October 7th

The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard: October 7th

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire: October 7th

Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Mackie: October 14th

Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot: October 14th

Trust Me, I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer: October 14th

Damaged by Amy Reed: October 14th

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle: October 21st

Get Happy by Mary Amato: October 28th

What October releases are you most excited about?