4.25/5This is such a sweet, light book, while at the same time it deals with grief and illness (someone in Ollie's family, not Ollie himself). Reminiscent of Grease, Ollie and Will have a summer romance that is lovely and intense, and when it's over Will drops off the map. Fate intervenes however, and after summer is finished they end up at the same school together when Ollie's family move to be closer to his Aunt, who is very sick. While Will does indeed frustrate Ollie at first, he meets a handful of other people he becomes close with. Juliette, Lara and Niamh are a trio of friends who end up adopting Ollie into their fold (some less willingly than others) and Ollie soon finds his feet at his new school. One of my favourite parts of this book is the relationships between Ollie and the girls, and the girls themselves. Juliette wants a career in music, Niamh wants to be a plus size model and Lara, though she starts off cold and abrasive, turns out to be someone Ollie has the most in common with, in many ways. The journey across the pages of them meshing of a group was so well done. At times the girls didn't get on, but overwhelmingly it was an example of positive female friendship, of girls who are there for each other, and who are there for Ollie, now that he's their friend too. There's one scene involving a dagger (you'll know it when you read it, it's not an actual dagger) that made me cry like a baby at how far Lara and Ollie had come. (Some spoilers in this next two paragraphs)The Afraid-to-come-out story was handled well too, in my opinion. Will is scared of his friend's reactions, and of his family's reactions, because he's "supposed" to be the typical guy jock, but as his feelings for Ollie grow, so does his bravery. The fact that at the end of it he comes out on his terms, and not because Ollie is pressuring him, was such a relief, as I hate the trope of "well if you loved me you'd be out." Ollie himself had a great character arc where he went from being annoyed at every move that Will made that Ollie interpreted as Will showing he didn't care, to realising that in many ways Will was trying to meet him halfway and Ollie himself hadn't been doing that. Overall, this is such a lovely book to read. It's lighthearted in some aspects and heavier in others (be warned, it does deal with the idea and reality of death and I did sit there reading with tears streaming down my face several times over the course of reading), but overwhelmingly it's about life, and living it to the fullest and being there for the people you love. "When someone you love needs you, you step up." is the motto of this book, as well as a direct quote, and I think the world would be a better place if we all acted on that.
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5/5I received a review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so thank you for that! This is one of the ARCs I've been most excited to receive. There aren’t many books that have delighted me like this before. Like, there have been books I’ve loved, books I’ve cherished, but books I’ve been honest to god, full on delighted by? In such a pure way that they make me want to hug the book close to my chest and roll around the floor in glee? It’s rare, friends. And to top it all off, would you take a look at that front cover? It’s colourful, intriguing... do I doubt the physics of such a house? Sure! Do I want to live in it anyway? You betcha! T.J. Klune is one of the best, most surprising writers I’ve had the pleasure to be wowed by. The sheer scope of topics he covers and excels at is genuinely astounding. I love a lot of his other novels, and so before I started this one I kind of expected to enjoy it but holy moly I think I ascended to a new level of being while I read this. The premise is this; Linus is basically a case worker who is in charge of visiting different orphanages which are home to a range of magical youths. He is very good at his job and so Extremely Upper Management give him the task of examining a very special orphanage... one that houses the anti christ! Dun dun DUN! What's a poor sweet case worker to do. The characters, each and every one of them, are memorable and unique, especially the children. I don’t want to go into too much detail here, I never really do when it comes to books like this, because I genuinely feel like experiencing the introductions to the characters and world page by page is the best way to devour books that are particularly character driven. Don’t get me wrong, the plot is good and enjoyable, not full of action or adrenaline but important and moving. But the characters in this book are so fantastically rendered! Talking of plot though; this book might be character driven but I loved the world building that was sprinkled throughout. I do kind of wish we got to see more of the world, since the book takes place on only two locations really, because a lot of what is hinted at is really, really intriguing. Really though that’s just an excuse to write a sequel and take everyone on a road trip amiright? ... oh my god. Please write a sequel and take everyone on a roadtrip. Please?? And! I haven’t even talked about the main relationship! It’s m/m and quite possibly the first m/m fantasy type book that i’ve read where the characters aren’t swimming with muscles, which makes a really nice change in all honesty. It's such a soft, sweet slow burn romance that more than anything, just made me smile. Please read this book. It’s so beautiful. I’ve ordered myself a hard back edition so that I can, as previously mentioned, hug it and roll around on the floor. It has more of an impact than just hugging my phone screen with the kindle app open haha. we are the daughters of the witches you burnt - something wicked this way comes |
Published: 15th Sep 2020 Reviewed: 2nd March 2020 Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare. His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.” But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director, and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are— and taking this place down. |
5/5
So first things first, I was provided an arc of this book by the publisher on NetGalley. Never say wishes don’t come true haha. Now, if I’m being honest the first thing that drew me to this book is the yellow front cover. Not only is yellow one of my favourite colours, it’s also severely underused in the cover art world and my bookcase is crying out for it, so I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this as well. I was also very nervous to read this book, because of the topic of conversion camps, but I'm so glad that I pushed past that.
Surrender Your Sons is an absolute roller coaster of a book and while I usually try to avoid including spoilers in my reviews I just can’t do that here. This book made me feel SO MUCH that I need to discuss is at length, so please be aware there will be some minor spoilers but nothing plot breaking.
When I was ¼ in it was maybe 3 stars. I found Connor to be frustrating, he’d go backwards and forwards between being obsessed with his current boyfriend and getting back to him, and then flirting with Marcos, one of the other campers, and so it kind of made any feelings he had for Ario seem a bit?? Fake?? I guess? The further in to the plot we got however, the higher the star rating rose.
Connor and the rest of the campers are scared, they’re children. They’re in a place where they’re being told all sorts of lies about themselves. But oh my god are they resilient. From the ones who try their best to protect the younger kids, to the ones gathering evidence since they arrived in an attempt to bring Nightlight down, every single one of the campers was so, so strong.
For Connor, Ario was the only queer person he was aware that he knew, and he provided a safe space despite the fact that he pressured Connor to come out before he was ready. And Ario was also pulling away, which made Connor paranoid and possessive. Marcos, on the other hand, was protective and attentive and we all know that trauma bonds people. While Ario’s parents were accepting, both Connor and Marcos had been sent to Nightlight by their family. They experienced the horror of it together, and if that isn’t shared trauma I don’t know what is.
Surrender Your Sons is about generational queer trauma. It’s about the way that inflicting this kind of damage to even just a handful of people can resonate outwards like a small rock thrown into a river creates larger ripples. From the younger members of the group, to 17 year old Connor, to some of the camp workers themselves who were returning campers so caught up in the lie and the Reverend’s power that they came back to work for him. And underlying all that is the story of Ricky, an older gay man who Connor had served meals on wheels to before Ricky passed away.
Generations of trauma squeezed into one book. It packs a hell of a punch, lemme tell you.
I read it in a day. If it had stretched over into day two I would have had to sleep not knowing what happened to the group. I would have had to go to work and sneak tense 15 min reads into my breaks and lunch. This was not a situation I was prepared to deal with and so I stayed up until 1am or so, with a belting headache, intermittently screaming at a group chat about how intense it all was.
By the time I was at the last few pages I was exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally but oh my god was it worth it. This book was a masterpiece of character growth and complexity. It had so many twists and turns in it that I almost got car sick without going anywhere. Some chapters were very hard to read, and I cried several times but I also laughed. And after that teaser of an ending if we don’t get a sequel where 5 years down the line Connor is leading an elite team of ex campers to track down Miss Manners I will cry (I doubt we will actually get that, but if you think i'm not going to run fake scenarios through my head of this exact thing then you are WRONG).
I recommend this wholeheartedly. But please do go into it with open eyes. Due to the nature of the plot there is discussion of suicide and self harm, of murder and religion and hate crime. It isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, but if you’re willing to give it a chance it’ll wow you.
Surrender Your Sons is an absolute roller coaster of a book and while I usually try to avoid including spoilers in my reviews I just can’t do that here. This book made me feel SO MUCH that I need to discuss is at length, so please be aware there will be some minor spoilers but nothing plot breaking.
When I was ¼ in it was maybe 3 stars. I found Connor to be frustrating, he’d go backwards and forwards between being obsessed with his current boyfriend and getting back to him, and then flirting with Marcos, one of the other campers, and so it kind of made any feelings he had for Ario seem a bit?? Fake?? I guess? The further in to the plot we got however, the higher the star rating rose.
Connor and the rest of the campers are scared, they’re children. They’re in a place where they’re being told all sorts of lies about themselves. But oh my god are they resilient. From the ones who try their best to protect the younger kids, to the ones gathering evidence since they arrived in an attempt to bring Nightlight down, every single one of the campers was so, so strong.
For Connor, Ario was the only queer person he was aware that he knew, and he provided a safe space despite the fact that he pressured Connor to come out before he was ready. And Ario was also pulling away, which made Connor paranoid and possessive. Marcos, on the other hand, was protective and attentive and we all know that trauma bonds people. While Ario’s parents were accepting, both Connor and Marcos had been sent to Nightlight by their family. They experienced the horror of it together, and if that isn’t shared trauma I don’t know what is.
Surrender Your Sons is about generational queer trauma. It’s about the way that inflicting this kind of damage to even just a handful of people can resonate outwards like a small rock thrown into a river creates larger ripples. From the younger members of the group, to 17 year old Connor, to some of the camp workers themselves who were returning campers so caught up in the lie and the Reverend’s power that they came back to work for him. And underlying all that is the story of Ricky, an older gay man who Connor had served meals on wheels to before Ricky passed away.
Generations of trauma squeezed into one book. It packs a hell of a punch, lemme tell you.
I read it in a day. If it had stretched over into day two I would have had to sleep not knowing what happened to the group. I would have had to go to work and sneak tense 15 min reads into my breaks and lunch. This was not a situation I was prepared to deal with and so I stayed up until 1am or so, with a belting headache, intermittently screaming at a group chat about how intense it all was.
By the time I was at the last few pages I was exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally but oh my god was it worth it. This book was a masterpiece of character growth and complexity. It had so many twists and turns in it that I almost got car sick without going anywhere. Some chapters were very hard to read, and I cried several times but I also laughed. And after that teaser of an ending if we don’t get a sequel where 5 years down the line Connor is leading an elite team of ex campers to track down Miss Manners I will cry (I doubt we will actually get that, but if you think i'm not going to run fake scenarios through my head of this exact thing then you are WRONG).
I recommend this wholeheartedly. But please do go into it with open eyes. Due to the nature of the plot there is discussion of suicide and self harm, of murder and religion and hate crime. It isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, but if you’re willing to give it a chance it’ll wow you.
Published: 6th Feb 2020 Reviewed: 1st March 2020 In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there's nothing to stop them from crossing the ice. Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he's forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he's always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over. |
4/5
I absolutely love zombie books. It's weird, because they're also my worst nightmare. Like, if the world was ever going to end holy crap let it not be with zombies because there is absolutely no way I'll survive. It doesn't matter if they're slow or if they're fast, I'd be dead. Despite this, I can't get enough of books written about them. This is Not a Test and The Forest of Hands and Feet were both two of my favourite books when I was younger, and so when I saw that we could expect a YA zombie book with a gay main character I was super excited, and honestly? Wranglestone doesn't disappoint, even if it wasn't exactly what I expected.
Peter is so sweet, and Cooper is adorable, and together they make a lovely couple. It was a little too fast moving for my tastes, in the sense of it felt a little insta love, but when we start the novel they've already known each other all their lives, so it doesn't read as eye rollingly annoying as it might do. You get to see them dance around each other for a little while, before anything official happens, but I love a good slow burn romance so I would have liked a little more lead up.
The setting of Wranglestone is so spooky. Like, I loved the idea that for a chunk of the year they're safe and they can live their best lives, but behind all that they're slaves to the ice and as soon as it starts to form, they're in danger. It gives you a sense of panic, of a build up in tension.
Another thing I liked is that the plot is a different take on the usual zombie type genre. It's a mix of a few different tropes that we've seen before in media, but I can't really go into much detail on them because it would be incredibly spoiler heavy, but things happen at the start of the book that seem so dangerous, but by the time you've read to the end and realised some of the key elements of this world you're like ohhhhhh that makes so much more sense! And the way that the author goes about revealing the secrets of Wranglestone to both Peter and the reader, is great.
Overall, a nice, creepy zombie filled read. It's atmospheric, it's intriguing, while at the same time having a very cute love story at the centre, and apparently there's going to be a sequel, which, honestly I can't wait to get my hands on.
Peter is so sweet, and Cooper is adorable, and together they make a lovely couple. It was a little too fast moving for my tastes, in the sense of it felt a little insta love, but when we start the novel they've already known each other all their lives, so it doesn't read as eye rollingly annoying as it might do. You get to see them dance around each other for a little while, before anything official happens, but I love a good slow burn romance so I would have liked a little more lead up.
The setting of Wranglestone is so spooky. Like, I loved the idea that for a chunk of the year they're safe and they can live their best lives, but behind all that they're slaves to the ice and as soon as it starts to form, they're in danger. It gives you a sense of panic, of a build up in tension.
Another thing I liked is that the plot is a different take on the usual zombie type genre. It's a mix of a few different tropes that we've seen before in media, but I can't really go into much detail on them because it would be incredibly spoiler heavy, but things happen at the start of the book that seem so dangerous, but by the time you've read to the end and realised some of the key elements of this world you're like ohhhhhh that makes so much more sense! And the way that the author goes about revealing the secrets of Wranglestone to both Peter and the reader, is great.
Overall, a nice, creepy zombie filled read. It's atmospheric, it's intriguing, while at the same time having a very cute love story at the centre, and apparently there's going to be a sequel, which, honestly I can't wait to get my hands on.
Published: 11th Feb 2017 Reviewed: 1st March 2020 Vie Eliot has survived a new high school, an abusive father, and the murderous Mr. Big Empty. Now, as Vie searches for Mr. Big Empty, he also finds himself facing an unexpected complication: how to be a good boyfriend. When a mysterious drifter named River disappears, though, Vie finds himself dragged into finding the missing boy. Vie’s psychic abilities have proved useful in the past, and once again they set him on the trail of a gruesome murderer. |
4/5
I really, really like this series and the cover art for this one is about 100 times better than the first one, so we're off to a good start.
I finished the first book (FULL REVIEW HERE) in 24 hours and I seem to be attempting to continue that trend for the rest of the series too. Poor Vie is not having a great time of it, yet again. I feel like this is also going to be a trend that I see continued.
So here we are with the second book in this series. Once again, between avoiding and/or confronting everyone out to get him, Vie attempts to solve a murder. Only, things may not be as they seem and as we move through the investigation with Vie, it turns out there's a lot more going on that was first apparent. Added to that, the ending itself throws a big "wait WHAT?" spanner into the works too.
I loved the part that Becca played, getting to see more of her and the friendship between her and Vie. It was nice to have him interacting with a positive influence who doesn't have a chance of sleeping with him. I love Austin, and to a slightly lesser extent Emmett too, but this boy needs some platonic friends too! On that same note, I love Sara. Honestly such a kind character who is just trying her best to look out for Vie. The way that story line played out was so perfect and I can't wait to see how it progresses in the third and fourth books. I think one of the focal strong points of this series is definitely the characters, so I was relieved to see that I loved them all just as much, if not more in some cases, as I did in the first book.
The plot itself was interesting. It never really got boring, although there were a few points near the beginning that I had to force myself to read through and not skim to get to the action. You could just as easily chalk that up to me being desperate to find out what happens to everyone though, because I AM very impatient.
I'm getting progressively more and more concerned about this brewing love triangle however. From past experience with books that include love triangles I've got a feeling I know how it's going to end up, and I don't think I'm going to like it haha, but I'll reserve judgement until I actually see a conclusion. I'll hold out for the polyamory we so clearly deserve!
As I mentioned in my review of the first book this cast of characters does not read as the age they are so clearly meant to read as. They just don't. And every time it's mentioned how old they actually are I'm just like...
I finished the first book (FULL REVIEW HERE) in 24 hours and I seem to be attempting to continue that trend for the rest of the series too. Poor Vie is not having a great time of it, yet again. I feel like this is also going to be a trend that I see continued.
So here we are with the second book in this series. Once again, between avoiding and/or confronting everyone out to get him, Vie attempts to solve a murder. Only, things may not be as they seem and as we move through the investigation with Vie, it turns out there's a lot more going on that was first apparent. Added to that, the ending itself throws a big "wait WHAT?" spanner into the works too.
I loved the part that Becca played, getting to see more of her and the friendship between her and Vie. It was nice to have him interacting with a positive influence who doesn't have a chance of sleeping with him. I love Austin, and to a slightly lesser extent Emmett too, but this boy needs some platonic friends too! On that same note, I love Sara. Honestly such a kind character who is just trying her best to look out for Vie. The way that story line played out was so perfect and I can't wait to see how it progresses in the third and fourth books. I think one of the focal strong points of this series is definitely the characters, so I was relieved to see that I loved them all just as much, if not more in some cases, as I did in the first book.
The plot itself was interesting. It never really got boring, although there were a few points near the beginning that I had to force myself to read through and not skim to get to the action. You could just as easily chalk that up to me being desperate to find out what happens to everyone though, because I AM very impatient.
I'm getting progressively more and more concerned about this brewing love triangle however. From past experience with books that include love triangles I've got a feeling I know how it's going to end up, and I don't think I'm going to like it haha, but I'll reserve judgement until I actually see a conclusion. I'll hold out for the polyamory we so clearly deserve!
As I mentioned in my review of the first book this cast of characters does not read as the age they are so clearly meant to read as. They just don't. And every time it's mentioned how old they actually are I'm just like...
But, as with the previous book, it wasn't such an issue for me that it stopped me enjoying it. I'm excited to see where the third book takes us. I do think it'll need to do something new, because the whole "Vie continues to get beat up," angle is getting very slightly old. As much as I love some good hurt/comfort I feel like there at least needs to be some extra comfort to balance the hurt otherwise it just gets a bit stale for me.
Fangirl Friday is the time of the week where I choose something related to books that makes me happy. This could be be a topic, a genre, a trope, a theme or anything else! And it can result in any kind of post; fan art, a rec list etc etc. There are no limitations as long as whatever it is makes me happy or excited!
WHY COFFEESHOPS?
For the first Fangirl Friday I want to celebrate the beautiful union of coffeeshops and books. When the weather is dreary and you’re wet and tired there is no better place to take shelter than a coffee shop (apart from a book shop, but usually I spend a lot more money there than I do in a coffee shop and so I try to avoid frequenting them too often haha).
Let me set the scene; a comfy couch. A hot drink. A sweet treat. The hustle and bustle of everyday life without any of the pressure to interact with anyone other than your barista. I finished work early today to meet some friends for lunch and after we were done I wasn’t quite ready to head home and call it a day, so I took myself and Wranglestone by Darren Charlton to my nearest cafe. A chai latte and a brownie later I was comfortably enthralled in a zombie filled adventure. It felt like the perfect choice of book too. In Wranglestone winter is just starting to set in and as I read the weather outside seemed to worsen.
Only when the rain started to let up did I decide it was time to make my exit, and I wish I could have stayed longer. Ironically enough the first place I went when I was done was a bookshop.
Do you have a favourite coffee shop? A favourite drink or snack to have while you’re reading? Or do you prefer to read in the comfort of your own home? Let me know in the comments!
And talking of Wranglestone, expect a review sometime in the next week! I’m really enjoying this one so far!
Let me set the scene; a comfy couch. A hot drink. A sweet treat. The hustle and bustle of everyday life without any of the pressure to interact with anyone other than your barista. I finished work early today to meet some friends for lunch and after we were done I wasn’t quite ready to head home and call it a day, so I took myself and Wranglestone by Darren Charlton to my nearest cafe. A chai latte and a brownie later I was comfortably enthralled in a zombie filled adventure. It felt like the perfect choice of book too. In Wranglestone winter is just starting to set in and as I read the weather outside seemed to worsen.
Only when the rain started to let up did I decide it was time to make my exit, and I wish I could have stayed longer. Ironically enough the first place I went when I was done was a bookshop.
Do you have a favourite coffee shop? A favourite drink or snack to have while you’re reading? Or do you prefer to read in the comfort of your own home? Let me know in the comments!
And talking of Wranglestone, expect a review sometime in the next week! I’m really enjoying this one so far!
So it's technically Wednesday, but I'm cheating as I only found out about this concept today and so this is my first Top Ten Tuesday and the topic it surrounds (social media) was too interesting to let it pass by! You can find out more information on Top Ten Tuesdays @ That Artsy Reader Girl if you're interested!
1. Andrew Minyard (from The Foxhole Court) on twitter. I feel like his personality would be really well suited to a social media platform with limited character usage, and he'd swing between acidic comments and junk food rec restaurants.
2. Jeebie Walker (from Arnold Falls) on facebook, because I can imagine that there's an Arnold Falls facebook page where the town argues over small and big things alike, and I think it would be endlessly entertaining in a very wholesome way.
3. Rune (from The Tarot Sequence) on every single piece of social media he would subscribe to, but since he's bad with technology it would probably end in disaster...
4. ...and so I'd follow Brand instead, and watch gleefully from his POV as Rune grows more and more frustrated with the mechanics of the internet.
5. Sideways (from The Scapegracers) on instagram, because I think she'd post the coolest witchy aesthetic posts. All velvet, silk, candles and spell books.
6. Mark (from The Martian) on YouTube for all those stressful, interesting, exciting Mars video blogs we'd be sure to get! You know... assuming they had traditional internet and social media on Mars haha.
7. Artemis Darth Vader (from The Bones Beneath My Skin) on tumblr, because I think she'd have a lot of interesting things to say about the world, and about other worlds, and the universe in general.
8. Gideon (from Gideon the Ninth) would be hilarious on any kind of social media, so I'd definitely follow her. I can just imagine her bemused selfies on instagram, Harrow in the background. Or her sneakily filming Harrow doing creepy stuff. I think she would have been especially good at making vines. Sign me up.
9. Henry (from Red, White and Royal Blue) is someone I would definitely follow to the ends of the earth, never mind social media, but I'd especially love to follow his instagram, because I think he'd post a lot of cool photos. I'm imagining ten photos in a row of him and Alex wrapped in a pride flag with different facial expressions in each.
10. Finally, Monty (from The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue) because he would be such a hot mess on social media. There's no other way I can think it would go, other than sideways.
Who would you follow? And why? Let me know in the comments!
2. Jeebie Walker (from Arnold Falls) on facebook, because I can imagine that there's an Arnold Falls facebook page where the town argues over small and big things alike, and I think it would be endlessly entertaining in a very wholesome way.
3. Rune (from The Tarot Sequence) on every single piece of social media he would subscribe to, but since he's bad with technology it would probably end in disaster...
4. ...and so I'd follow Brand instead, and watch gleefully from his POV as Rune grows more and more frustrated with the mechanics of the internet.
5. Sideways (from The Scapegracers) on instagram, because I think she'd post the coolest witchy aesthetic posts. All velvet, silk, candles and spell books.
6. Mark (from The Martian) on YouTube for all those stressful, interesting, exciting Mars video blogs we'd be sure to get! You know... assuming they had traditional internet and social media on Mars haha.
7. Artemis Darth Vader (from The Bones Beneath My Skin) on tumblr, because I think she'd have a lot of interesting things to say about the world, and about other worlds, and the universe in general.
8. Gideon (from Gideon the Ninth) would be hilarious on any kind of social media, so I'd definitely follow her. I can just imagine her bemused selfies on instagram, Harrow in the background. Or her sneakily filming Harrow doing creepy stuff. I think she would have been especially good at making vines. Sign me up.
9. Henry (from Red, White and Royal Blue) is someone I would definitely follow to the ends of the earth, never mind social media, but I'd especially love to follow his instagram, because I think he'd post a lot of cool photos. I'm imagining ten photos in a row of him and Alex wrapped in a pride flag with different facial expressions in each.
10. Finally, Monty (from The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue) because he would be such a hot mess on social media. There's no other way I can think it would go, other than sideways.
Who would you follow? And why? Let me know in the comments!
Published: 17th Jan 2017 Reviewed: 26th Feb 2020 Vie Eliot arrives in the small town of Vehpese, Wyoming with little more than the clothes--and scars--on his back. Determined to make a new life for himself after escaping his abusive mother, he finds that living with his estranged father brings its own problems. Then Samantha Oates, the girl with blue hair, goes missing, and Vie might be the only one who can find her. His ability to read emotions and gain insight into other people’s darkest secrets makes him the perfect investigator, with only one small problem: he wants nothing to do with his gift. When the killer begins contacting Vie through a series of strange cards, though, Vie is forced to hone his ability, because Samantha was not the killer’s only target. And, as Vie learns, he is not the only psychic in town. |
5/5 stars
This book was a very intense look into the life of a teenage psychic who is not having a great time of it. From the start it didn't hold any punches. Mr. Big Empty deals with aaaaall the issues, from bullying to child abuse to self harm and suicide, dipping into murder and torture along the way. It isn't ever boring, which, considering it's a long book, is a miracle, and although some aspects were slightly predictable, others were not, which to me is a good mix for a mystery novel. I read the entire thing in the space of 24 hours, on the bus, on my breaks at work, and then finishing it close to midnight, after which I promptly bought the second book in the series.
I really loved Vie as a main character, he was refreshing and unique, and I felt for him from the beginning. I just wanted to protect him, which would be impossible because boy does this guy get himself into a thousand different fights every other day. I can't wait to see what trouble he gets up to in the next book haha. Please let Austin, Emmett and Becca protect him to the best of their ability.
I'm a little unsure on how the relationship aspect of this series is going to progress. Spoilers within this chapter.... Okay so. I really love Austin as a character, which, yeah, that surprised me as much as it would surprise anyone else who knows me to know that I would pick him over Emmett who is usually exactly my kind of favourite love interest. I kind of want it to end in polyamory because I hate the idea of any of them being sad, but if I had to pick I think I would pick Austin as my hope for a happy ending type romance.
The one thing I did find a little weird was how the characters didn't seem their ages at all. They're high schoolers, but they came across as college students or like, early 20s sometimes. It wasn't a big issue, it was just a little jarring to remember how old they actually were.
Overall, I recommend it for anyone looking for a m/m romance-thriller-psychic-mystery. It was entertaining and emotional and very, very well written.
I really loved Vie as a main character, he was refreshing and unique, and I felt for him from the beginning. I just wanted to protect him, which would be impossible because boy does this guy get himself into a thousand different fights every other day. I can't wait to see what trouble he gets up to in the next book haha. Please let Austin, Emmett and Becca protect him to the best of their ability.
I'm a little unsure on how the relationship aspect of this series is going to progress. Spoilers within this chapter.... Okay so. I really love Austin as a character, which, yeah, that surprised me as much as it would surprise anyone else who knows me to know that I would pick him over Emmett who is usually exactly my kind of favourite love interest. I kind of want it to end in polyamory because I hate the idea of any of them being sad, but if I had to pick I think I would pick Austin as my hope for a happy ending type romance.
The one thing I did find a little weird was how the characters didn't seem their ages at all. They're high schoolers, but they came across as college students or like, early 20s sometimes. It wasn't a big issue, it was just a little jarring to remember how old they actually were.
Overall, I recommend it for anyone looking for a m/m romance-thriller-psychic-mystery. It was entertaining and emotional and very, very well written.
Reviewer
26. Capricorn. INFP. Hufflepuff.
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