Review: Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee

Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee

Series: Standalone
Published: March 14th, 2017
Publisher: Aladdin
256 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Middle Grade/Retelling/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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Mattie, a star student and passionate reader, is delighted when her English teacher announces the eighth grade will be staging Romeo and Juliet. And she is even more excited when, after a series of events, she finds herself playing Romeo, opposite Gemma Braithwaite’s Juliet. Gemma, the new girl at school, is brilliant, pretty, outgoing—and, if all that wasn’t enough: British.

As the cast prepares for opening night, Mattie finds herself growing increasingly attracted to Gemma and confused, since, just days before, she had found herself crushing on a boy named Elijah. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys AND girls? If that wasn’t enough to deal with, things backstage at the production are starting to rival any Shakespearean drama! In this sweet and funny look at the complicated nature of middle school romance, Mattie learns how to be the lead player in her own life.

 

I’d just like to start out by saying I am so glad this book exists. When I first heard about Star-Crossed and discovered it was LGBTQ+ Middle Grade, I was over the moon. I tried to keep my expectations in check, but I was excited, and luckily this book exceeded my expectations.

When I was twelve I was obsessed with Romeo and Juliet. The Leo DiCaprio/Claire Danes movie version had just come out and I bought myself a copy of the play to read. While I see the story’s faults as an adult, I loved it back then, so I know I would have loved this book and its many creative parallels to Shakespeare’s story. I loved the way the author took a well-known story and made it something new and fresh not only with its middle school setting, but also by having the role of Romeo be a young girl, Mattie, who was questioning her budding feelings for Juliet, or in this case, Gemma. For so many reasons, I wish I’d had this book as a tween or young teen. It would have been nice to see a character like myself, uncertain and questioning.

It’s so important to have books like this in schools and libraries, where kids can seek them out and find characters like themselves - or like their friends or family - in the pages. I appreciated how it was completely age-appropriate and dealt with other real-life issues as well as Mattie’s growth, plus - my favourite part - the realization that it’s okay to like whoever you want, whether that’s boys or girls or both. I’ve read so few books with positive bisexual rep, and the fact a Middle Grade book not only did it, but did it so well makes me incredibly happy.

Star-Crossed is a sweet, funny, touching story with a relatable and memorable main character as well as a wonderful cast of side characters. It took me back to my own middle school days of obsessive, confusing, angsty, all-consuming crushes and navigating school and friends and family life. I loved that Mattie’s bisexuality wasn’t something for her to ‘overcome’ or this big, shameful thing - it was just another part of her, albeit a confusing part as she figured things out. I’d love to see books like this as required reading for tweens and young teens, whether they’re gay, straight, or anywhere in between, and I also think it’d be a great book for teachers and parents to read. I’ve been recommending Star-Crossed a lot since I read it and I’ll continue to do so!

Have you read Star-Crossed? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any other Middle Grade books with LGBTQ+ characters?

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Review: It’s Not Like it’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura

It’s Not Like it’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura
Series: Standalone
Published: May 9th, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
400 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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Sixteen-year-old Sana Kiyohara has too many secrets. Some are small, like how it bothers her when her friends don’t invite her to parties. Some are big, like that fact that her father may be having an affair. And then there’s the one that she can barely even admit to herself—the one about how she might have a crush on her best friend.

When Sana and her family move to California she begins to wonder if it’s finally time for some honesty, especially after she meets Jamie Ramirez. Jamie is beautiful and smart and unlike anyone Sana’s ever known. There are just a few problems: Sana’s new friends don’t trust Jamie’s crowd; Jamie’s friends clearly don’t want her around anyway; and a sweet guy named Caleb seems to have more-than-friendly feelings for her. Meanwhile, her dad’s affair is becoming too obvious to ignore anymore.

Sana always figured that the hardest thing would be to tell people that she wants to date a girl, but as she quickly learns, telling the truth is easy… what comes after it, though, is a whole lot more complicated. 

I have mixed feelings about It’s Not Like It’s a Secret. On the one hand, I’m always ecstatic to find new f/f books, and the fact the main character is not only queer but also a person of colour overjoys me. Books like this are very slowly filling a gaping void in publishing, and I’m so, so happy to see them being published. I wanted so badly to like this book, but...it was overall pretty meh for me. It was slow and way too long, and the plot was all over the place. It also had the one consistent...flaw? Drawback?...I keep finding in contemporary f/f: there was very little focus on the romance. I JUST WANT A F/F ROMANCE WHERE THE FOCUS IS THE ROMANCE, WHY IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!

Ahem. Anyway...

Sana was Japanese-American and I enjoyed learning a bit about the culture and traditions, largely through Sana’s interactions with her mother. I liked that when Sana’s family moved from the all-white community she grew up in to California, she finally found a place she truly fit and felt comfortable. I appreciated the open discussions about racism and stereotypes, especially among non-white groups (like, for instance, Sana’s Japanese mother had something racist to say about pretty much every ethnic group, and pretty much everyone stereotyped Sana and her friends as ‘smart Asians’ and Jamie and her friends as ‘lazy Mexicans’). It’s so important to talk about racism in an open way and to shine a light on people’s preconceived notions, incorrect perceptions, and prejudices...but...at times it felt like a story more about race than anything else. There was such a heavy emphasis put on the racism and stereotypes, and I know they’re important subjects and it’s important to see them addressed, especially in YA, but at times it felt like you couldn’t go more than a few pages without someone making a racist comment or the focus being brought back to some form of stereotype. I know I’m privileged in that I can’t imagine what it must be like to live with that kind of prejudice and hear those comments or know people are judging you based on the colour of your skin, but the heavy focus on racism added to the overall feeling of the plot being scattered.

On to the romance: Yay lesbians! Double yay for lesbians in YA! But...I wanted MORE. So much more. The interactions between Sana and Jamie were okay but not memorable. Half the time they were together, Sana was worried about Jamie’s friends and what they thought of her. I’d have liked to get to know a bit more about Jamie and WHY Sana liked her so much. It was an insta-crush, which is fine, but I didn’t feel like it ever went deeper than that, even when they were together. Then there was the...love triangle? I’m not sure you could totally call it that, but I’m going to since it led to a cringe-worthy cheating storyline. It’s pretty sad that in an f/f book, I liked the opposite sex non-love-interest better than the gay love interest. I understand that in YA books it’s important that the characters are flawed and make mistakes because that’s realistic, and that’s how they learn and grow. I usually appreciate deeply flawed characters because it often leads to poignant lessons and growth, but Sana did so many questionable things it had me shaking my head and rolling my eyes more than rooting for her. Because of that and because I feel like we didn’t get to know much about Jamie, the romance fell flat for me. I also felt like Sana didn't learn that much or grow that much as a person, which was a bit disappointing.

Overall, I was underwhelmed by It’s Not Like it’s a Secret. I appreciated the diversity, but honestly if it hadn’t been for that, there would have been almost no story/tension/conflict. I wasn’t able to connect with the characters, and the story - especially the second half - dragged. This story wasn’t for me, but as always, I encourage people to decide for themselves if it sounds like something that would interest them.

               

Have you read It's Not Like it's a Secret? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? What's the last book that left you feeling underwhelmed?

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Review: That Thing We Call a Heart by Sheba Karim

That Thing We Call a Heart by Sheba Karim
Series: Standalone
Published: May 9th, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
288 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: This review contains marked spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo}

Shabnam Qureshi is a funny, imaginative Pakistani-American teen attending a private school in suburban New Jersey. When her feisty best friend, Farah, starts wearing the headscarf without even consulting her, it begins to unravel their friendship. After hooking up with the most racist boy in school and telling a huge lie about a tragedy that happened to her family during the Partition of India in 1947, Shabnam is ready for high school to end. She faces a summer of boredom and regret, but she has a plan: Get through the summer. Get to college. Don’t look back. Begin anew.

Everything changes when she meets Jamie, who scores her a job at his aunt’s pie shack, and meets her there every afternoon. Shabnam begins to see Jamie and herself like the rose and the nightingale of classic Urdu poetry, which, according to her father, is the ultimate language of desire. Jamie finds Shabnam fascinating—her curls, her culture, her awkwardness. Shabnam finds herself falling in love, but Farah finds Jamie worrying.

With Farah’s help, Shabnam uncovers the truth about Jamie, about herself, and what really happened during Partition. As she rebuilds her friendship with Farah and grows closer to her parents, Shabnam learns powerful lessons about the importance of love, in all of its forms.

Featuring complex, Muslim-American characters who defy conventional stereotypes and set against a backdrop of Radiohead’s music and the evocative metaphors of Urdu poetry, THAT THING WE CALL A HEART is an honest, moving story of a young woman's explorations of first love, sexuality, desire, self-worth, her relationship with her parents, the value of friendship, and what it means to be true.

That Thing We Call a Heart can pretty much be summed up in two words: growing up. It’s a character-driven book with a sequence of events over the course of one summer, a lot of self-reflection, and little actual plot. These types of books can be hit or miss for me, but I really enjoyed this one.

Shabnam was a complex, believable character. She was an average girl - awkward, self-conscious at times, intelligent. Through most of the book, she’s incredibly self-centred; she’s aware of some of her faults, aware of the distance with her family and with her best friend, but she mostly just cares about herself, particularly her budding love life. Characters like her make me have that rare feeling of actually being a grown-up because the things they do and say drive me crazy. That being said, I appreciated how flawed she was, because it made her seem more real. I also appreciated the open and honest conversations (and inner monologue) dealing with things like religion, sex, desire, the ignorant and sometimes downright racist comments people make without realizing they’re being ignorant or racist, and natural things of a personal nature (for instance, Shabnam mentioned several times how much she sweated and she worried about BO, which is so rare and yet so refreshing, because honestly who hasn’t worried about that at some point?).

This was the first book I’ve read with a Muslim main character, and I enjoyed learning more about the religion, Pakistani culture, and bits of history. I also enjoyed learning about Urdu poetry, and I liked how it was something that connected Shabnam to her otherwise distant father (who was hilarious, by the way). I loved how the author worked in honest, natural conversations about religion and how Shabnam and Farah differed quite a bit in their thinking, especially when Farah started wearing hijab. This book had a great cast of side characters, from Shabnam’s parents to Farah to Jamie.

Speaking of Jamie...two spoilers ahead...

I never particularly liked Jamie. There was always something about him that made me wary, and as the story went on, I realized I had good reason to be wary. While I love a happily ever after and expect it in most contemporaries, I think the author made an interesting decision, and I’ll be curious to see how other readers feel about Jamie. I’m used to summer romances finding a way to work out, and was surprised when this one not only didn’t work out, but we discovered Jamie was a player who had a less-than-stellar track record with girls. As a romance junkie, I’m surprised by my own reaction to how the romance played out and the fact I actually appreciated it. Getting to see Shabnam heartbroken and working through it, realizing how selfish she’d been, and trying to make things right with Farah and her family made me like her even more. It’s also far more realistic than most YA contemporaries. We’re used to swoonworthy, mature boys, and while I’m a sucker for them in fiction, they’re extremely rare in real life. How things worked out - plus Jamie’s general personality and behaviour - was so much more realistic.  

It didn’t bother me that Shabnam and Jamie drank or that they and Farah smoked pot. Part of me even appreciated seeing it because some kids do it, and I don’t like to pretend they don’t (same with sex in YA - it happens!). However, what I was 100% not okay with was the fact Farah and Jamie both drove while high. Farah even said something to the effect of ‘I drive better when I’m high’. NOPE. Impaired driving is impaired driving, and I hate that it’s in a book, especially a YA book, as if it’s completely normal and okay. It pissed me off to the point I almost stopped reading. I get that some things happen in a book and it doesn’t mean the author necessarily condones it or agrees with it, but in this case - maybe because I’ve been in an accident with a drunk driver (a drunk driver hit us, and my toddler nephew was in the vehicle) and have driven with a person who was high and feared for my safety - it rubbed me the wrong way.

<end spoilers>

That Thing We Call a Heart is a story about love in its many forms. It’s about growing up, figuring things out, and trying to understand the world around you and your place in it. By the end of the book, I was impressed with and proud of Shabnam’s growth. She learned a lot of hard, painful lessons over the course of the summer, and she came out a better person for it. This is a funny, touching, realistic story, and I’d recommend it to fans of contemporary YA.

Have you read That Thing We Call a Heart? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Can you recommend any books with Muslim main characters?

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Review: Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
Series: Standalone
Published: May 9th, 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
432 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo}

Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever.

Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever.

The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.

I hate to start my review this way, but I feel it’s necessary: I’m aware of the controversy surrounding Ramona Blue that started when the original synopsis was revealed. While I understand why people would be upset and offended over the idea of a lesbian ‘magically being turned straight when she meets the right boy’, that’s not what this book is. Ramona is SEVENTEEN. She’s young and doesn’t have a ton of experience. She thinks she’s a lesbian because she’s only ever liked girls. BUT people are allowed to feel how they feel, like who they like, and choose how to label themselves - and people have the right to change those labels. Or not choose a label at all. EVERY queer experience is valid and deserves to be told, and I think how Julie Murphy chose to tell Ramona’s story was pretty damn perfect. She took potentially loaded subject matter and handled it with thoughtful, insightful care and respect. As a YA book this book is meant for teens - they are its target audience. I can’t tell you for sure what I would have thought of this book at 17, but I’m pretty sure I would have appreciated Ramona’s honesty, bravery, and wisdom, especially as someone who was exploring and discovering her own sexual identity at the time. This book is about so much more than a girl who thinks she’s a lesbian and realizes the world is more than just black and white and that feelings change, people change, and circumstances change. This book is going to resonate with so many readers, and be NEEDED by so many readers. I would never want to invalidate anyone’s feelings or concerns, but I wanted to share my perspective and opinion on this as someone who has actually read the book, since the majority of pre-release reviews and 1-star ratings are from people who only read the synopsis.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s get on to the actual review, shall we?

I read and enjoyed Murphy’s first two novels, Side Effects May Vary and Dumplin’ and was eager to read Ramona Blue. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I know I didn’t expect to be blown away the way I was. I loved this book so much. Featuring a complex main character, a fantastic and diverse cast of side characters, and strong emphasis on family relationships, self-discovery, and love in its many forms, Ramona Blue encompassed all my favourite aspects of YA.

Ramona’s self-discovery in this book was a thing of beauty. She was a complex character to begin with, but her growth and the things she learned - about herself, about love, about life and family and so many other things - was incredibly poignant. I connected with her easily, and rooted for her from beginning to end. This book was so much more than a story about Ramona being sure she was a lesbian and then discovering she liked guys, too. That realization and the romance itself actually felt secondary to the sister relationship and to Ramona’s own growth as a person. That being said, I adored the romance. I liked that Ramona and Freddie had a past and that they picked up their friendship easily and connected over heartbreak. Watching their relationship progress from friendship into something more was a pleasure and felt very realistic. Going back to my opening of the review, I’d like to point out that not once did the story veer into the territory of Freddie ‘turning Ramona straight’ or ‘fixing’ her. Ramona talks a lot about her feelings - her feelings for Freddie, her uncertainty and confusion, her resistance to put a label on herself once she falls for Freddie - and it was interesting and insightful to be inside her head.

One of the things I love most about Ramona was her strength and resilience. She’d been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life, and yet she didn’t feel sorry for herself and didn’t allow that to keep her down. She was forced to grow up quickly and take on a lot of responsibility. She worked hard and stayed in school, all while making sure her dad and sister, Hattie, were taken care of. She was used to making sacrifices for Hattie, but when Hattie got pregnant, Ramona was sure the rest of her life would be dedicated to taking care of her sister and her niece. She could have thrown an endless pity party or become a martyr, but neither of those things happened. There were several scenes that absolutely broke my heart because it was so easy to picture this young woman with this immense sense of obligation, sacrificing so much to take care of her family. Watching her learn that there was more than just work and school and obligation to her family filled me with so much happiness and hope.

Ramona Blue is a beautiful, touching story. I loved Ramona’s journey of self-discovery. Her loyalty to her dad and sister, as well as her sense of responsibility toward them resonated deeply with me. I connected with her on many levels. This was such a quietly powerful novel that made me run the gamut of emotions. I laughed and cried, and most importantly, fell completely in love with Ramona and her story. I can’t recommend this one enough to fans of contemporary YA.

 

{My review of Side Effects May Vary || My review of Dumplin'}

Have you read Ramona Blue? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? What was your last 5-star read?

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Review: Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Dreamology by Lucy Keating
Series: Standalone
Published: April 12th, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
336 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary YA/Science Fiction
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.

But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.

When their dreams start to bleed dangerously into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough? 

Dreamology is a breath of fresh air. It combines my favourite YA genre - contemporary - and adds in elements of fantasy and science fiction that set it apart and made it wonderfully unique. After reading several meh books and a DNF, Dreamology was exactly the type of light, fun, and funny book I needed.

Alice was a fantastic main character. She had a great voice that felt age appropriate and her thoughts and actions rang true to her age. I connected with her easily and wanted to see her succeed in everything she did because she seemed so real. Besides Alice, this book was full of fantastic characters. I adored Max; he was literally Alice’s dream boy, but he wasn’t perfect, which I appreciated. He was a bit of a mystery at times, since Dream Max and Real Max were so different to Alice, but despite that, he clearly knew Alice well. I loved how even when he seemed distant, he was always looking out for Alice and clearly cared about her. Alice’s best friend Sophie, and her new friend Oliver were stand-out secondary characters. Oliver was hilarious, and if I hadn’t loved Max so much I would have wanted Alice and Oliver together. Alice’s dog Jerry deserves a special mention too. I loved how he was always there, a special part of Alice’s life and her memories of growing up. Keating did an incredible job with all the characters; they were all so real, all had a purpose, and they all leapt of the page.

The dream sequences in the book were so much fun to read. They were wild and crazy and imaginative, and as someone with a vivid imagination, I loved reading about Alice and Max’s dream adventures. It was also fascinating to learn some of the science behind dreams. Dreams are such a mystery to most of us, so I appreciated how those facts were woven into the book in a natural, interesting way. I also appreciated that even though there were fantastical elements that made you feel like you were in a dreamworld, there were also realistic situations - Alice’s family issues, school, trying to figure out what to do with her life, her feelings for Max, a friend’s unrequited feelings for her. There was a lot of real ‘teen stuff’ and it all felt really authentic. 

Dreamology is a book that will stick with me for a long time. Full of vivid descriptions, memorable characters, and an original plot, Dreamology is a must-read for fans of contemporary YA who are looking for a little something extra.

Have you read Dreamology? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you have vivid, memorable dreams or do you forget your dreams the minute you wake up?

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Review: Snowbound at Christmas by Jennifer Ryan, Lia Riley, Maisey Yates

Snowbound at Christmas by Jennifer Ryan, Lia Riley, Maisey Yates
Published: November 15th, 2016
Publisher: Avon Impulse
384 pages (ebook)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

When a snowstorm pummels the western half of the country, three couples find once off-limits love just in time for Christmas. An unforgettable holiday anthology from bestselling authors Jennifer Ryan, Maisey Yates, and Lia Riley.

Close to Perfect: A Montana Men Novella by Jennifer Ryan

At sixteen, Abigail gave Dex the gift of a lifetime, but the cost of it was more than he ever knew. Now she’s back in town with a secret that has been ten years in the making and this time it’s Dex’s turn to make the ultimate sacrifice or risk losing her forever.

Snowed in at Copper Ridge: A Copper Ridge Novella by Maisey Yates
 
Mia Landry has always had it bad for brooding cowboy Devlin Grayson. Too bad he’s her best friend’s older brother. But when they find themselves snowed in at Copper Ridge Lodge, Mia finally has the chance to tell the man of her dreams exactly what she wants him.

Hot Winter’s Night: A Brightwater Novella by Lia Riley

While Brightwater is being covered in snow, Goldie Flint is stuck in her flower shop. She never expected her hero to be Kit Kane, the former love of her life. Kit knows that what he had with Goldie isn’t just in the past and with the help of a little bet, an ornery grandmother, and a lot of snow, he’s ready to show her that what he really wants for Christmas is a second chance. 

Close to Perfect: A Montana Men Novella by Jennifer Ryan ~ 2 stars
This was my least favourite story in the Snowbound at Christmas anthology. I know a lot of readers dislike novellas because the characters are often flat, the plot is rushed, and/or there’s no development - character-wise or story-wise. I had all of those problems with this story. It was overly dramatic, unbelievable, and repetitive. It was basically the same couple of thoughts/sentiments over and over and over. I ended up skimming a lot of it because I couldn’t find anything enjoyable about it.

Snowed in at Copper Ridge: A Copper Ridge Novella by Maisey Yates ~ 2.5 stars
This story had a lot of the same problems as the first, especially the fact the characters had no depth. I know that Christmasy novellas are often cheesy and things happen too quickly romantically, but if it’s done right you can overlook that and find it sweet and romantic. That wasn’t the case with this story. Despite the fact the characters had known each other for a long time, the romance felt like insta-love - the unbelievable kind.

Hot Winter’s Night: A Brightwater Novella by Lia Riley ~ 5 stars
Hot Winter’s Night had none of the problems of the other two stories. It could be because I’ve been a fan of Riley’s for a few years now and because I’ve read two of the three Brightwater books, but I honestly think it was more than that. This story had characters with actual depth, purpose, and a believable story. It evoked real emotion, plus it was funny, sweet, sexy, and romantic. This story is the type of Christmasy novella I love - the kind that makes me laugh, makes me teary, gets me invested in the characters, and leaves me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Riley never ceases to amaze me.

Have you read Snowbound at Christmas? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you have any favourite Christmas/holiday/winter books?

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Review: Sweet Madness by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie

Sweet Madness by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie
Series: Standalone
Published: September 15th, 2015
Publisher: Merit Press
223 pages (eARC)
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction/Mystery/Retelling/Horror
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}
  

Seventeen-year-old Bridget Sullivan is alone in Fall River, a city that sees Irish immigrants as nothing more than a drunken drain on society. To make matters worse, she's taken employment with the city’s most peculiar and gossip-laden family—the Bordens. But Bridget can’t afford to be picky—the pay surpasses any other job Bridget could ever secure and she desperately needs the money to buy her little sister, Cara, passage to the states. It doesn’t hurt that the job location is also close to her beau, Liam. As she enters the disturbing inner workings of the Borden household, Bridget clings to these advantages.

However, what seemed like a straightforward situation soon turns into one that is untenable. Of course Bridget has heard the gossip around town about the Bordens, but what she encounters is far more unsettling. The erratic, paranoid behavior of Mr. Borden, the fearful silence of his wife, and worse still…the nightly whisperings Bridget hears that seem to come from the walls themselves.

The unexpected bright spot of the position is that Lizzie Borden is so friendly. At first, Bridget is surprised at how Lizzie seems to look out for her, how she takes a strong interest in Bridget’s life. Over time, a friendship grows between them. But when Mr. Borden’s behavior goes from paranoid to cruel, and the eerie occurrences in the house seem to be building momentum, Bridget makes the tough decision that she must leave the house—even if it means leaving behind Lizzie, her closest friend, alone with the madness. Something she swore she would not do.

But when Bridget makes a horrifying discovery in the home, all that she thought she knew about the Bordens is called into question…including if Lizzie is dangerous. And the choice she must make about Lizzie’s character could mean Bridget’s life or death.

 

I’ve always been aware of who the Borden family were and that Lizzie Borden had supposedly killed her parents with an axe, but I didn’t know much beyond that. I was intrigued when I heard about Sweet Madness, a retelling of the Borden murders from the perspective of their seventeen-year-old Irish maid, Bridget.

Sweet Madness is a fascinating and creepy look inside the madness of the Borden house, the motives for a brutal murder, and the darkness that lives within some people. For anyone who knows a lot about the Borden murders, and even for those who know little to nothing, I think it’s important to remember this is a fictional retelling of real events. The authors used creative license to put forth their own theories and put a creative spin on what happened, since nothing was ever really proven. The reason I’m mentioning this is because I saw a few reviews that complained about how many inaccuracies the book had, but for me personally, going into a book like this I try to have an open mind and enjoy it for what it is, even knowing some things will be changed and the ending is pure fiction. 
                                       
Rumours about the Bordens had been circulating Fall River for years. People in town talked about how odd they were, especially Lizzie and Emma, homely spinster sisters with strange habits. Mr. Borden was a wealthy, successful businessman and yet his family lived in poor conditions and went without things. Bridget had been working for the Bordens for the past year and had stuck around, despite the rumours and despite the family’s strange behavior and demands, partly because the pay was good, partly because it allowed her to be closer to her boyfriend, and partly because she’d befriended Lizzie.

Sweet Madness had so many fascinating elements to it. Bridget had her own interesting story - coming over from Ireland, wanting to bring her sister over eventually, being in love with an Irishman and being part of his family, plus the whole ‘outsider view’ element of her being in the Borden house and being privy to certain things while still feeling this aura of mystery, tension, danger, and madness. Because Bridget had access to a lot of the house and spent most of her time there, she saw and heard a lot of what went on - the odd behavior, but also the cruelty and mind games. It was hard to know who to trust since things weren’t always as they seemed. While I was reading, I kept thinking this book would make a fantastically creepy movie.   

After I finished reading Sweet Madness, I pulled up Wikipedia and read about the Bordens and was impressed with a lot of the details, both big and small, that the authors worked into the story. They built up so much mystery and tension in the book that the spin they put on the murders seemed completely believable. That house was filled with madness - whether it was cursed or haunted, or whether the darkness and demons came from within its inhabitants, it all came together to make for something dark, disturbing, and thrilling. I would highly recommend Sweet Madness to fans of horror, historical fiction, and mystery.

Have you read Sweet Madness? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Are you familiar with the Borden murders? Do you think Lizzie killed her parents?

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