[Review] Last Seen Leaving - Caleb Roehrig: Sexuality and Missing Girlfriends

In LAST SEEN LEAVING, the police start investigating when Flynn's ex-girlfriend mysteriously disappears.

What intrigued me: Exclusively the hype.

Coming-Of-Age Rather Than Thriller

LAST SEEN LEAVING is a poster child for it's not you, it's me. It's undoubtedly a very skillfully written book, the prose is on point, the characterizations are great - but it's just not my thing. I found myself struggling a lot to get into this and pretty much immediately lost interest when I realized that this is a very character-driven coming-of-age story with a side of mystery instead of a fast-paced thriller. 

LAST SEEN LEAVING isn't really about January or her disappearance, it's pretty much simply an incentive to get the story started and fill some pages on the side so Flynn's self discovery won't be the only thing that this book is about. I definitely welcome this, I like that Roehrig wrapped a second story into this instead of just making this a regular thriller. We do need more #ownvoices stories that aren't solely about characters discovering their sexuality. However, the coming-of-age aspect is ultimately also why I didn't care much for it. I'm not really a fan of calm contemporary books that center around characters and their self-discovery, so LAST SEEN LEAVING didn't grip me at all.

Miscommunication and Slow Burn

Besides the very subjective aspects, LAST SEEN LEAVING is a very slowly paced book, which doesn't really work in the story's favor, considering the genre. I was hoping for a page turner, but I really only got a slow burn story about a small town mystery and a small town boy who got too caught up in heteronormativity to realize that he isn't heterosexual at all. 

A lot of the story relies on misunderstandings and miscommunication to preserve the mystery, which is probably my least favorite trope in the entire universe and also influenced my reading experience negatively. LAST SEEN LEAVING isn't quite as sharp and clean cut and to the point as I like my thrillers to be, which is highly, highly subjective, and therefore just wasn't my thing. Add flashbacks on top, which I also despise, and you pretty much got a perfect mixture of all the subjective things I don't like that are in no way an indicator about the quality of this book.

LAST SEEN LEAVING is definitely an important story regardless, and if you generally don't mind slow and character-driven books, you'll probably love this.

Rating:

★★★☆☆

 

Overall: Do I Recommend?

If you're looking for a coming-of-age thriller narrative starring a gay protagonist that discovers their sexuality while investigating a disappearance, I guess this is perfect for you! LAST SEEN LEAVING is definitely well-written and unique, but just wasn't my thing, unfortunately.

Additional Info

Published: May 22nd 2017

Pages: 416

Publisher: cbj

Genre: YA / Thriller

ISBN: 9783570173343

Synopsis:

"Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?

Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself. "
(Source: Goodreads)

What's your favorite thriller?

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Recommendation: Girl on the Verge - Pintip Dunn: Being Thai and New Girls

In GIRL ON THE VERGE, Kan's mother offers to take care of Shelly, who eagerly becomes Kan's new best friend, but also arrives with a mountain of secrets.

What intrigued me: Wanted to read more from Pintip Dunn.

Young Voice and Creepy Vibes

GIRL ON THE VERGE needed a while to get me interested. I didn't quite know what to expect, I thought this would be some kind of angsty contemporary. But once Shelly arrives and weasels the way into the reader's (and Kan's) heart, you'll immediately know something is wrong. There's a strange air of uncomfortable mystery around her that you can feel oozing from the pages the entire time. Dunn definitely knows how to orchestrate a mystery and make you feel uneasy. 

Aside from Shelly and her secrets, a large portion of the novel is spent gushing over love interest Ethan. He's your typical high school cool kid with the twist that he unapologetically enjoys traditionally feminine things. I really enjoyed seeing a character like that, though the romance aspect didn't do much for me, which is highly, highly subjective. Generally, GIRL ON THE VERGE  is one of those reads that exist at the lower end of YA, a little over upper MG in my opinion, which is definitely not a bad thing, just something you have to take into consideration when reading this. I certainly didn't expect a fairly younger than YA-sounding voice in a thriller story, so GIRL ON THE VERGE definitely caught me off guard. Had I known from the beginning, I probably would've liked this a lot more, but this is subjective.

#Ownvoices Excellence

I was immediately impressed with the way Dunn managed to put that unique diaspora feeling of not feeling like you belong in either worlds into words; this definitely warrants a recommendation alone. I've seldom seen authors go there and explore this feeling in as much detail, honesty, and eloquence as Dunn does. Especially if you're Thai diaspora, or Thai-American, this hopefully might mean even more to you, you need to get your hands on this book. 

GIRL ON THE VERGE definitely does a lot for diaspora readers in terms of validating and normalizing their experience, which I am immensely grateful for. The amount of strength, sheer talent, and determination it must have taken to put these feelings into words renders me speechless. GIRL ON THE VERGE perfectly illustrates to me what #ownvoices really is and what it means. For that alone, this deserves a glowing recommendation. Even if the other aspects don't really sound like something you'd be interested in, GIRL ON THE VERGE deserves all the support for its radiant and heartfelt portrayal of what it means to be diaspora.

Rating:

★★★★★

 

Overall: Do I Recommend?

If you're diaspora, or even Thai diaspora, this is an absolute must-read. Doesn't matter what your reading preferences are, I've seldom seen an author provide such poignant and moving representation for diaspora readers in terms of feeling like you don't belong. Definitely recommend this to your diaspora friends.

Additional Info

Published: June 27th 2017

Pages: 256

Publisher: Kensington

Genre: YA / Thriller

ISBN: 9781496703606

Synopsis:

"In her small Kansas town, at her predominantly white school, Kanchana doesn’t look like anyone else. But at home, her Thai grandmother chides her for being too westernized. Only through the clothing Kan designs in secret can she find a way to fuse both cultures into something distinctly her own.

When her mother agrees to provide a home for a teenage girl named Shelly, Kan sees a chance to prove herself useful. Making Shelly feel comfortable is easy at first—her new friend is eager to please, embraces the family’s Thai traditions, and clearly looks up to Kan. Perhaps too much. Shelly seems to want everything Kanchana has, even the blond, blue-eyed boy she has a crush on. As Kan’s growing discomfort compels her to investigate Shelly’s past, she’s shocked to find how much it intersects with her own—and just how far Shelly will go to belong…"
(Source: Goodreads)

What's your favorite thriller?

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[Review] Uprooted - Naomi Novik: Magic, Fairy Tales, and Evil Trees

In UPROOTED, Agnieszka gets taken by the powerful wizard the Dragon and trained to become a witch. Together they try to protect the surrounding villages from the evil forest that's trying to kill everything near it.

What intrigued me: Recommended!

Incredibly Unique

UPROOTED is arguably the most unique fantasy novel to come out within the last two years. It is advertised as based on a Polish folk tale, and I have to say, I really felt it.

It reminded me a lot of the fairy tales I grew up with, but turned dark. 

The premise is very reminiscent of CRUEL BEAUTY, but don't let that deceive you. UPROOTED is not a story about a captive girl slowly falling in love with her rude captor, but more the story of a girl realizing her power. It's a coming-of-age novel if you will, but with magic.

The characters, mainly the Dragon and Agnieszka, are extremely well-written. I instantly loved the Dragon for his cold, mean, and downright condescending personality and adored Agnieszka for being the clumsy, likeable, and brave girl who'd try her best to annoy him as much as possible.

Too Dense?

The biggest criticism I have is definitely the writing. Novik has a very peculiar, unique writing style, composed of lots of descriptions, metaphors, etc. Very much more telling than showing. It reads slowly, taking long paragraphs for something to happen, and I found myself zoning out so often that it took me a catastrophically long time to read this.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, if you read this in your native language this might not bother you as much, and if you like flowery writing, you might enjoy this even more. I personally don't like this and it made it very hard for me to continue, even though I really, really like the story. It's undoubtedly an incredibly unique novel that's very skillfully written and more art than writing, but certainly not for everyone.

There is no way around saying that UPROOTED definitely would have benefited from being turned into a series. Because it is a stand-alone, set in such a complicated, intricate world with so many rules and peculiarities, it is extremely densely written. This just lowered my enthusiasm for it as I was reading, because it is really hard to concentrate when you're constantly being overwhelmed with background information in form of info dumps and flashbacks.

It really feels like UPROOTED is trying to be three books in one, and the relationships just don't come across as genuine as they could have been because the book is hurrying so much. Novik's writing style really doesn't work in combination with so much dense storytelling, sometimes she rushes from scene to scene, sometimes she needs one page to tell one action. Even though I am an avid advocate for stand-alones, I have to say I wish UPROOTED was the first in a series instead.

Rating:

★★★☆☆

 

Overall: Do I Recommend?

UPROOTED is definitely not for everyone. It's exceptionally well-written, unique book, but I suggest you pick this up in your native language and for you to be ready for lots of flowery writing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend UPROOTED, but it's just one of those books that are hit or miss.

Additional Info

Published: May 19th 2015

Pages: 438

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: YA / High Fantasy

ISBN: 9780804179034

Synopsis:

"Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose. "(Source: Goodreads)

Have you read UPROOTED?

[Review] Three Dark Crowns (#1) - Kendare Blake: Triplets, Witchery, and Wasted Potential

In THREE DARK CROWNS, triplet heirs to the throne must compete in a deadly battle for the crown.

What intrigued me: I love reading about magic!

Misses the Mark So Hard...

THREE DARK CROWNS was so much not my thing that I genuinely wanted to quit blogging over this. There are DNFs and books that don't match your taste, and then there are books that make you forget that you're supposed to enjoy reading. I really wanted to like THREE DARK CROWNS desperately. I didn't though. I really, really didn't.

It's just one of those books that hooks you with a cool premise, but that's that. I expected an action-filled THE HUNGER GAMES style battle to the death, but really just got a slumberous High Fantasy story with a side of blown up insta romance. Kudos to the marketing team here, they honestly exaggerated this so massively, it's hard to even find the connection between the super fun things that the blurb and cover hint at and the actual book.

So much Wasted Potential!

THREE DARK CROWNS is supposed to be a dark, dark story about sisters planning to kill each other for the throne. Actually, it's just a super boring YA romance times three with genuinely zero plot, zero potential to connect or care about the characters, and very peculiar POV choices. I can only describe the writing and execution as extremely irritating. The POVs are all over the place, not necessarily even from the actual sisters, but from random side characters sometimes, and it's a nightmare to even make it past the point where you know who the characters are. I had immense problems trying to get into this, which is why it took me weeks to finish this. 

The magic system and all is fine and interesting. Poisoners, elementals, and people who talk to animals! Sounds fun! I really enjoyed reading about the whole poisoner storyline and Katharine. Poison mixers! This alone could've sold me on this book. I feel like if it had been executed differently and had stuck to one POV, or even just three POVs (of the sisters), I would've felt completely differently about this! All that instant love and lack of action could even just be excused a little if the writing and execution weren't so terribly irritating and weird, and unnecessarily extra. 

The biggest problem I have with this - the story has so much potential that it's just SO frustrating and stressful to see how Blake absolutely doesn't even come close to using it. The blurb is so great, I could actually cry, this is supposed to be a story about anti-heroines and darkness, maybe a bit creepy and vengeful and stabby. But it's none of that. THREE DARK CROWNS is yet another of the gazillion stories about princesses with magical powers that fall in love. That's it. I'm so frustrated and sad.

Rating:

★☆☆☆☆

 

Overall: Do I Recommend?

THREE DARK CROWNS is a disaster if you're picky about your High Fantasy and like to form connections to characters. I almost quit blogging altogether over this because it made me forget that reading is supposed to be fun. This wasn't fun in the slightest, the exact opposite of it. Clearly, this is highly, highly subjective.

Additional Info

Published: May 9th 2017

Pages: 448

Publisher: Penhaligon

Genre: YA / High Fantasy

ISBN: 9783764531447

Synopsis:

"When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown."
(Source: Goodreads)

Have you read nice High Fantasy lately?

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Book Style: The Island

Fact: I rarely like non-fantasy YA.
'nother Fact: I adored Olivia Levez's The Island.

Definitely recommending this gritty and realistic novel which absolutely earns the comparisons it has garnered to Robinson Crusoe and Hatchet. Our protagonist, Frances, is sentenced to a work program on an island in the Indian Ocean in lieu of jail time for her crime. When the plane carrying her, the group leaders, and her fellow juvenile delinquents crashes in the middle of the ocean, Fran's survival skills are put to the ultimate test. There's nothing like hours of solitary time on a deserted beach to really think about the consequences of her actions, either. By the time it turns out that Fran's island may not be as deserted as she assumed, you'll be rooting for this unlikely, and often bristly, hero.

I wanted to do beach-worthy and youthful for today's Book Style. It's not Fran's exact outfit - I refuse to style Spongebob bikini bottoms. Honestly, I'm so far from teenage now that I'm not even sure a 16 year old girl would wear anything I style. Anyways...

Let's start with a "Castaway" bikini. (Not pictured: All the sunscreen you'll want to apply. And reapply. And reapply again.) A pair of "Love Yourself" denim cutoffs seemed appropriate for Fran's journey. A "Françoise À La Mer" tee on top keeps the look easy. A pair of terrier leather flip flops are surely something Fran would love; she has a soft spot for pups, after all. I kept the jewelry simple with sparkly fish earrings, a fishtail bracelet, and an "Indian Ocean" necklace. In the category of Things-Fran-Would've-Loved-To-Have-Had-Handy we have a bright blue pair of aviators and an adorable shark iPhone case. Of course, even stranded, Fran was never without her eyeliner (this one is "Delinquent") and her nail lacquer (this sandy taupe is "Coconuts").

If you want to entertain and challenge your DIY survival skills, check out Olivia Levez's tutorial on how to make a shoes out of your bra!