Flash Reviews | #2 | January 10-23, 2016

In these two-ish weeks, I read 5 books. I gave a couple of them lower ratings and the other three higher ratings so, overall, I would say that I am happy with my reading over the last little bit of January.



005. 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
I was really looking forward to this one (so much so that I picked it up only a few days after it landed on my shelves) but, unfortunately, it really didn't leave me impressed. A clunky translation made the prose too formal and cardboard characters fell extremely flat and didn't connect with me. While the reveal of the "villain" did inspire some sort of response in me, I was left with too many questions to really appreciate it. You can read my full review here. ★★

006. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

I absolutely adored this book. After hearing only good things about it, I picked it up on a whim and fell in love. The concept and overall alternate history that Graudin presents is captivating and so, so terrifying; what would have happened if one thing turned out differently? I enjoyed the characters and grew so fond of their relationships, but I really want to know what is going to happen if and/or when they find out that Adele is not really Adele. Graudin's writing style is one that I am really drawn to and I am waiting not-so-patiently for the sequel and the companion novella coming out soon! You can read my full review here. ★★★★★

007. The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
This book has an interesting enough concept - a woman experiences two lives, one real and one fake, All said and done, however, I was bored most of the time. I wasn't particularly fond of the characters and I thought that the shift into paranoia and confusion was done too abruptly. The end was one that I did not see coming (in terms of which life is real) but I was so unattached that I couldn't bring myself to care about the outcome of the story. You can read my full review here. ★★ 

008. Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

A really important and unflinching look at rape culture in Ireland, Asking For It left me drained and angry but, at the same time, not entirely sold on this portrayal. Going into this book, I was interested to see how this topic would play in a setting other than the United States but I was not surprised to see that it is pretty much the same in Ireland as it is here: victim-blaming/shaming, rallying against the accused, gossip. While I found the story to be captivating post-party, the beginning was clunky and took a little bit of time to get into. Additionally, there were so many characters with too-similar names that it was hard to keep everyone straight. You can read my full review here. ★★★★

009. The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
After an enjoyable but somewhat disjointed first installment, the second book in the Fire and Thorns trilogy had all of the pieces fall into place. I continue to love Elisa as a main character and her supporting cast is one for the ages. The romance is swoon-worthy in all of the right ways; Elisa and her love interest treat each other as equals and have a respect for one another that I admire so much. I also really enjoyed that Carson touched on smaller topics (in the grand scheme of things in this world) such as birth control and unhealthy sex. You can read my full review here. ★★★★½