War Storm by Victoria Aveyard Review

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

4.1 out of 5 stars
 
This sad time has come..... the end of a great series. And Victoria Aveyard really did a great job wrapping this one up. There were a couple of huge frustrations, but overall it was a fantastic ending that closed up a lot of details in a really satisfying way. War Storm was dynamic and powerful, driving home the end of the story in an electrifying way. This ending in particular may be one of the best young adult series endings I have ever read. 


SPOILERS BELOW
 

PLOT:
There was so much in this book- so many details, so many moments, and so many fine movements- and it all came together beautifully in the end. What I really appreciated about this too was that it kept moving. There was never a moment where something inane was happening. It all was crucially important to the larger picture and all played into each other. The only setback from this is that I wish there was another book. Yes, because I want another book in general from this series, but also because I think there was so much that it could have easily been split into two books. This way as well, there could have been some more details added in for things like character development.

I have to mention the ending as well. Not as a setback, but as a really potent strength for this book. So often a series or a trilogy will just stop or leave things half-baked at the end of it all. This did not. It closed off the story in a way that was realistic (or realistic for the fictional world) and left room for the story to breathe even after the final page is turned. There were no moments in particular that really stood out as being amazing about the ending. There were actually even a couple of times where I think I could have read a bit more about, like the final surrender from Iris and her mother. As a whole though, it was so nice to have a good ending. It has been really hard to find a series that perfectly nails the ending of the overall arc, but War Storm definitely fits the bill in my opinion.


CHARACTERS:

MARE: This is one of the few characters where I am not just pleased overall with how her character has grown through the series, but I enjoyed her role in this book specifically as well. One of my absolute favorite things about her is that she stuck to her convictions in this story. She has gone through hell and back and after recovering (I think for the most part) she is so much stronger for it and I love that we got to see that new leaf of Mare being turned over. I think it was so well done and that there could even be a way to see a glimpse of how Mare would carry herself in the future.

CAL: I want to slap him across the face. Generally speaking, his character was really well constructed, as frustrating as he can be. Towards the end though, I hated his development when Mare killed Maven. They had literally discussed how one of them needs to kill him like an hour before Mare does it, and yet he's still pissy about it afterward. Even as Mare is ON A HOSPITAL BED. Sure Cal loved Maven and they were brothers, but I think there was still some set up in his character for more compassion and understanding toward Mare for what she had to do. But after it happens, it's like that conversation and understanding had been thrown out a window.

MAVEN: Great character. A complete crazy sociopath by the end of the book of course, but such a great characters. I loved the consistency that we saw from the first book through this one in terms of how his mother has shaped him and how he has been affected by her gift. It hurt when he died, not because I didn't want Maven to die, but because it was tragic what he went through as well and who he could have been without his mother's evil.

IRIS: This was the most confusing character of them all because I feel like her character was bouncing in attitude and tone throughout the entire story. The character developments in general I thought were not as strong in this book as the others, but Iris especially felt like she was just fitting whatever role was needed for her at the time in order to move the plot along.

EVANGELINE: By this point in the series, I love this chick. I love her character, I love her growth, I love her personality. She's just great and I think she is a great example of how these characters have had to grow and develop with each other as well as individually. Eve (by the way, random nickname?) has come so far from the first book and I think her plot has been one of the strongest in the series.

WRITING:
Unfortunately, this is where my largest issue lies with the book. I really loved some of the points of view. Eve, Mare, and Iris were great touch points to have and I loved reading from their perspectives. However, it felt odd to say the least when random points of view would be thrown in, like from Cal or Maven. I can understand how it would be hard to incorporate some of the plot points without these points of view, but it was forced and didn't seem as incorporated into the story as the other chapters. Multiple points of view are great, but this felt scattered.

It is going to be so sad to really say goodbye to this series once the book hangover fades away. Since Red Queen came out in 2015 this series has always been one of the books that I look forward to every year, and now there will be none. I really hope Victoria Aveyard keeps writing though and making fantastic worlds like this one. I don't want to continue in this one- the ending was too good, anything else would ruin it- but I think she has a great talent for world building and creating these complicated characters. I hope that eventually we will see more of this skill.

Thanks for reading!

SPOILER FREE Review of War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

4.1 out of 5 stars

This sad time has come..... the end of a great series. And Victoria Aveyard really did a great job wrapping this one up. There were a couple of frustrations, but overall it was a fantastic ending that closed up a lot of details in a really satisfying way. War Storm was dynamic and powerful, driving home the end of the story in an electrifying way. This ending in particular may be one of the best young adult series endings I have ever read.

It is going to be so sad to really say goodbye to this series once the book hangover fades away. Since Red Queen came out in 2015 this series has always been one of the books that I look forward to every year, and now there will be none. I really hope Victoria Aveyard keeps writing though and making fantastic worlds like this one. I don't want to continue in this one- the ending was too good, anything else would ruin it- but I think she has a great talent for world building and creating these complicated characters. I hope that eventually we will see more of this skill.

Thanks for reading!

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler Review

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

4.3 out of 5 Stars

This book was astonishing in its subtleties and accuracy about life, at least, from what I could tell. I feel like I should write a short punny line about how it was "a delicious book" that "satisfied my appetite for the story," but so many people have probably done that already at this point that it's been overdone and honestly I don't feel clever enough at the moment to cook up something new.


Really though, this book is incredible. The characters are so complicated and each is unique to themselves in a way that echoes and highlights what Tess is learning as she lives in New York. What I really love about this book, however, is that even though I know nothing- and I mean nothing- about fancy wine and foods, I was still able to enjoy the story without feeling stupid for not knowing what was being talked about. If anything, I feel like I was able to learn more about wine connoisseurship- please don't ask me anything because I still know next to nothing- and develop an appreciation for what goes into making wine and the different tastes that are created.

I picked this book up because I was intrigued by the trailer for the Starz TV show Sweetbitter. I am planning on continuing watching the show, and I read this while between episodes, but this review is going to be on the book alone. Later though, when the series is finished, I think I'll review that as well.



SPOILERS BELOW



PLOT:
This is definitely a coming-of-age story. It begins with Tess packing up her things and finding a crappy apartment in New York City. There she gets a job while she figures out who she wants to be but ends up falling in love with the industry. It's sort of like a DIY version of Cinderella where instead of falling for the prince, Cinderella makes her own outfit for the ball and constructs her own castle. It may not be as grand as some other castles, but she loves it and it is home. It really is a great story about navigating how to make a life for yourself that doesn't follow the safe laid-out plan that you had before. Tess is a very relatable character, even though she is annoying at times, and the experiences that she goes through read very realistically. I'm curious to know if the author's own narrative is leaked through the narrative of Tess, but even if it isn't, the events unfold in a way that could probably actually happen.

What this book does a really great job of though is carrying messages and lessons without being vague, or worse, pretentious. Some of Simone's lines are pretentious, but she's messed up and pretentious anyway, so it still goes with the flow of the story. One of my favorite quotes though, and it may be from Simone, is, "I’m giving you permission to take yourself seriously. To take the stuff of this world seriously. And to start having. That’s abundance." I'm not entirely sure what about the quote speaks to me the most, but the way it is incorporated into the dialogue makes it unassuming, yet profoundly resonating.
 
CHARACTERS:
Tess: The first thing that comes to my mind is that she is very relatable- ordinary. This works perfectly for the story, especially as a coming-of-age novel. The second thing that comes to mind is annoying. I really hated how she behaved like a child at times. She would go and do something stupid and then not like the consequences. Or something would go wrong and she'd have an excuse why. It was just the small things like this that I really didn't like, and I don't like them in person either, so that's probably why. Overall though, she was able to be a consistent character while still growing throughout the story into something that I think would have a very bright future. My absolute favorite thing about her though is when she tells Simone that she quits. This is right after Simone tells her she'll be promoted to the "Smokehouse," and Tess has absolutely had enough. Good for her for standing her ground and choosing the risky over the certainty.

Simone: Simone kind of makes me sick at this point, reading the whole of the story. She irked me for most of the book just with her personality, but there was a point where I was worried about why she is the way she is. But then Sasha reveals what she did to Jake while they were younger and I don't particularly care anymore. I know that it isn't entirely clear what about the story Sasha shares is real versus not real, and that details are probably still missing, but I can't think about that. I just feel bad for Jake.

Jake: He is the character that when I closed the last page, I felt the most sadness for. Everything that he does can be explained by the story that Sasha tells if we as readers take it to be true. In that case, I think that at this point in the story, the portion of time that Sweetbitter tells, Tess would have been the best chance Jake had to get better. By that, I mean less wrapped around Simone in a weird twisted way. The minutia of his character is extraordinary with the way that the details of him and his past are revealed. As odd as it might be to say this, I hope Jake has a better future, away from Simone. (I know he's fictional but still.)

WRITING:
Like I've already said, I think this book does an incredible job of integrating amazing lines and quotes without being obnoxious about it. What I really want to point out though is the fragments that are interspersed over the course of the story. We get definitions of food jargon and random poems that are nearly nonsensical. I really enjoyed these, although I'm not entirely sure what purpose they held. It just makes the story easier to digest. It also makes it unique from other coming-of-age stories. The reader isn't just learning about Tess's story- they have a snippet of what she is actually learning that adds depth to the story being told.

Thanks for reading!

Spoiler Free Review: Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

4.3 out of 5 Stars

This book was astonishing in its subtleties and accuracy about life... at least, from what I could tell. I feel like I should write a short punny line about how it was "a delicious book" that "satisfied my appetite for the story," but so many people have probably done that already at this point that it's been overdone and honestly I don't feel clever enough at the moment to cook up something new.

Really though, this book is incredible. The characters are so complicated and each is unique to themselves in a way that echoes and highlights what Tess is learning as she lives in New York. What I really love about this book, however, is that even though I know nothing- and I mean nothing- about fancy wine and foods, I was still able to enjoy the story without feeling stupid for not knowing what was being talked about. If anything, I feel like I was able to learn more about wine connoisseurship- please don't ask me anything because I still know next to nothing- and develop an appreciation for what goes into making wine and the different tastes that are created.

I picked this book up because I was intrigued by the trailer for the Starz TV show Sweetbitter. I am planning on continuing watching the show, and I read this while between episodes, but this review is solely about the book. Later though, when the TV series is done, I think I'll review that as well.

Thanks for reading!

Riverdale Season 2 Thoughts and Feels

Riverdale Season 2 Thoughts and Feels

4 out of 5 Stars 
 

Riverdale season 2 has ended and it is completely tragic, yet also completely well-timed. I first binge-watched season 1 of the show last summer, but I've been watching this season weekly while they aired. This season was more in depth than the last season, but also slightly more unfocused. I will give it to them that this was their first season with 22 whole episodes, so maybe they were working out the bugs of how to fill all the episodes, because I'm sure that's difficult. There were just a few character arcs that I would have liked to seen more of and others that were so minimal that I wish they didn't exist at all. Overall though, the show was different enough each week with a lot of great anticipation that I kept watching and loving the characters and their stories.

SPOILERS BELOW (including finale)


Looking at the larger plot of the seasons, we have a single murder mystery in season 1, the Black Hood in season 2, and I'm think a crime ring for season 3. The Black Hood though was only a portion of this season, and a part of me wishes they had done more with that character, especially the resolution. Yes, it was cool that Hal was the killer and I wasn't surprised that Tall Boy supposedly did it for the money from Hiram, but I wish that this could have been looked at a bit more. The later of the two in particular because Tall Boy just disappears somewhere in the season, so it seems very convenient for him to be the second Black Hood. This could potentially work somehow in the next season if Tall Boy were to somehow come back, but I also don't think it would work well at all if

I'm really curious to see where the show goes for season 3. In an interview, Roberto said to look back on episode 7 for clues for the upcoming season? (Also, this interview subtitle calls him Robert????) I don't have access to the episode right now, but looking at the online description this is the one with 48 hours of no sinning. I can't remember the details of it though and how it would tie in with what the season finale sets up for the next year....


Thinking about the finale, I think Polly has the "darkness" that was in Hal and Betty. It creeps me out in general whenever she talks about what she has learned at the farm, because I'm 99% sure that it really is just a cult. Polly has been brainwashed and I think it is just feeding the "darkness" that is genetically inside her. Also, I have a crackpot theory this is the link where Riverdale could potentially crossover with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: that is, it would have if Sabrina wasn't coming out through Netflix. I'm not really sure what it going on there and how I feel about that.

Speaking of "darkness" though, where exactly is Hal? We saw him get arrested which is all fine and well, but then we see him talk to Betty through a clear all encompassing wall thing. Clearly, he is not in a normal prison cell, because we've seen those on the show before and they do not look like that. But is he in an advanced cell for psychopaths? Is he in an insane asylum? Biggest question in preparation for the new season- is he going to be moved to the prison being built on the south side?

One of my favorite things about the finale was when Archie confronted Hiram in his own house. That was so beautiful. All season, Archie has been acting like a stupid puppy tailing Hiram everywhere, so to see him finally stand up against Hiram- albeit in an idiotic way- was fantastic. That scene peters out in the end (I wish Archie had done something more than just stab the desk) but CLEARLY there was a larger ramification to that interaction. Hence, why it was slightly idiotic. Archie has done Hiram's bidding all season, pisses him off at the end of it, and thinks that there were going to be no consequences for that? The tricky thing with the arrest at the end of the finale is that Andre, the actual killer, is dead. There were no other witnesses either, so there is no way to tangibly prove Archie's innocence. But this also means that evidence would have needed to be fabricated by Hiram right? So I think all they really need to do is prove the evidence to be false in order to get Archie released.


Kevin had a really interesting story this season, but I wish they had put just a little more time into it because it felt very disjointed at times. He had the whole thing about finding hook-ups online, and then there was a maybe thing with Fang (so I thought), and over everything there's Moose. But it was just sprinkled in when it was convenient and I think his character could really benefit from being a larger focus in the story. I want to see more of how his life is and what the dynamic is between him and his father and what he does when Betty, Archie, Veronica, and Jughead are always running around like the Scooby gang.


What Riverdale added to this season was the musical episode. I enjoyed the Carrie episode a lot. It was still relevant to the whole season while also being more entertaining and confronting so much of what needed to get pushed along in terms of character development and growth. I am not entirely sure though that this would work again as another musical episode. If they were to try to do this, I think they would need to place it in a very similar spot in season 3 that they did season 2 because then it would echo another spring show within the show. It can't be random or it won't carry over well.

In general, the music of Riverdale was SO GREAT. I loved so many of the song choices they had playing in the background of the show. This may not really be something that most people pay attention to while watching something, but I definitely notice it, and not only did the songs fit the events that were happening, but they were also I think just great songs. I am definitely planning on putting together a Spotify playlist for the songs from this season.

Along the same note of the music in the show, I really want there to be more of Josie and the Pussycats. I want the band to get back together, I want to hear more of their singing, and I want that to come back to Riverdale. I love their voices and the covers and songs that they perform and it killed me inside just a little that they weren't a thing in this season. I believe they will be coming back though, especially considering the comment Josie made in the finale about getting back to music.

Last big thing: Jughead and the Serpents. I love how Jughead is the king of the Serpents now and then he asked Betty to be the queen!!!!! I am really interested to see where the gang goes moving in the future with the consolidation of the two sides/ larger divide of south (with the Ghoulies now though) and the north (old Riverdale north + the Serpents). What I'm really really curious about is how many of the "northside" kids from the high school are going to join the Serpents and how is Jughead going to run the gang.

This is all only part of what I want to talk about, but the rest of it has to do with the characters and their relationships specifically and this post is already long enough, so I'll just make a separate post about the ships later and link it here when it is done.


Season 2 was really great and I hope the creators of the show keep learning and producing amazing work so that season 3 is a fantastic as I think it will be!

Thanks for reading!

Spoiler Free Review of A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

4.2 out of 5 Stars

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

A Court of Frost and Starlight was the perfect little break I needed from studying without being too distracting. All of the characters got to have some page time, there were little individual stories for everyone that all tied together, and it set up for the next few books beautifully. 

With that, there is not much more I want to add to this portion without getting into spoilers, because there is a very high chance that if you are looking to read this book, you have read the other books already and are just wondering if this is a book that has to be read. I would say, "YES," you do need to read this book. Not only because it was great fun, but because it lays the ground work for the rest of the books. 

It completely blows my mind that Maas was able to create a novella that wasn't just entertaining, but necessary for the continuation of the series. "Necessary" may be a strong word in this scenario, because someone could probably read right from book 3 to book 4, but this novella fills in so much context and character development that I really genuinely think that those readers who choose not to read this will be missing something as they continue the series.

Enjoy the novella. It will help get you ready for the next book, tide you over until the next Maas book, and it's worth the money too because to Sarah J. Maas a novella is 229 pages.

Thanks for reading!
Popsugar Reading Challenge: book by an author with the same first or last name as you

Avengers: Infinity War Movie Review

Avengers: Infinity War

Movie Review

5 out of 5 stars

 

It has been a long time since I have thought a Marvel movie was perfectly designed and executed, but Avengers: Infinity War really blew me away. It was perfectly balanced in every aspect of character development, plot detail, and humorous interjections. I was really worried about this one too because there were going to be so many characters and plot elements that needed to happen, or at least were set up to happen. 

Notes for the rest of this: 

1) There will be lots of SPOILERS. Read at your own risk

2) I have not read the comics, or even seen the movies a billions times. I am a Marvel fan, not a Marvel fanatic, so if I get small details wrong, please forgive them.

The first thing that I want to talk about is the character development of Gamora. She's always been a really cool character throughout the movies, but I really love how we get to see more of her history. It really rounds her out as a character and there is just the most perfect wait to let that history of her and her father sink in before Thanos kills her. That made the moment all the more heart-wrenching because of the lack of understanding on her part. 

The other character whose story has become really interesting is Banner's. His whole relationship with the Hulk side of him is fascinating. I'm not entirely sure what it is that is making the Hulk refuse to come out, but I'm wondering if is what happened in Thor 3? Or was there something preceding that movie that is making this happen? For whatever it is, it is really interesting to see play out across these multiple movies and come to a tipping point in this one. I really really hope the Hulk comes back for the next movie and that there is a kick-ass resolution for this character.

Apparently, none of the actors, or close to none of the actors, read the actual script with the real ending. And honestly, rightfully so I think because HOLY COW- so many people died in this movie! The deaths that really got me were Peter's and Bucky's. The latter because we just got him back, and then he died, so we lost him all over again. Peter's really got to me because he became so vulnerable at the end and he completely leaned on Tony in a way that showed their father-son-like relationship. And then, of course, my favorite died- T'Challa- and that massively sucked. I don't think all of these characters are dead though because a good deal of them have sequels coming out in the future.

My biggest lingering question from this movie is: how is Tony going to get back to Earth? Because I really think that's where he needs to go, if only to talk to Aunt Mae. The obvious answer is that Nebula is going to start up the ship or fly over there with him, but what is that relationship going to look like? Are they going to be able to commandeer a ship with just the two of them? Which ships are still working? Whose are they going to take? What will happen when they land? 

What kills me in this movie is that STUPID STAR LORD HAD TO POKE THE BEAR. Nearly literally- he just had to punch Thanos when he did. If he had waited until the gauntlet was off, then not only would the universe be safe and no one would have died, but he probably would have been able to beat the crap out of him due to pure anger afterwards at that point. Stupid. Just completely stupid.

Around this same moment, Dr. Strange gives up the time stone, which a couple of people I saw the movie with were wondering about. First, I really think that he had to do that because he saw that there was only one possible option to win the war and I think that had to be a part of the equation. Secondly, why did he not just chop off Thanos's head with the time sphere thing? Well, there are two points to that. The first is that he probably didn't know that was the way to kill Thanos. Sure it was probably a possibility, but the second point is that he might have seen that option and maybe Thanos was too quick in reacting to the sphere and it ended up failing spectacularly somehow. No matter what though, I have complete confidence that Dr. Strange knew what he was doing when he gave up the stone.

This leads into the question of how the time stone will play into the ending and if it will be used to bring characters back. Because while I think it could be used hypothetically to bring some back, it would be a cop out to use it to bring everyone back. Also, I really don't think everyone survives, specifically Captain America. This is based entirely on my own theories and whispers of what I think happens in the comics, but doesn't Cap die? Also, doesn't Chris Evans's contract end in 2019? Anyway, I also don't think the time stone could be used to un-kill half of the universe. This is a very serious problem that needs to get solved in the next movie, and I think the time stone will play a fairly large role in it.

 

Lastly, in the end credit we see Fury page someone, but all we see is a symbol. Again, in the theater, a lot of people were wondering whose symbol that was and who was being called on, but my immediate thought would be Captain Marvel? I've just heard his name, I have no clue where he fits in the timeline or the comics, but couldn't there be a way for it to make sense? I don't know enough about this hero to more fully elaborate on this theory, but there it is. Please make of it what you will- I'm going to blindly stick with it, but would love more info on it.

Thanks for reading!