Bout of Books 21 Wrap Up

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week-long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

      

Amazon Links:

Everless by Sara Holland

Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Until Sage by Aurora Rose Reynolds
An Act of Obsession by KC Lynn

I kind of failed in the aspect of finishing my goals. I made the mistake of starting the second season of Stranger Things (AMAZING!!) and I reread books. Either way, I'm happy that I read four books. 

 

Amazon Links:

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

Review: Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Author: Nic Stone
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Number of Pages: 210
Goodreads l Amazon

Synopsis:

"Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack."

I honestly wish there was more to this book. I wanted more pages than what was given to me so I was left feeling a little disappointed with how the book ended. 

This book was powerful, no doubt about it, but I was expecting a lot more from it. The first 80 to 90 pages of the book I was left unimpressed. I was left frustrated with the writing style and how the story was progressing. I just felt that the book itself was unfinished and could have been expanded on more that would have been amazing. It was like this book was the bones of a story and nothing more, no muscle and tissues to make it whole. 

"Them fools don't wanna hear when they're being offensive. They couldn't care less what it's like to live in our skin."

The second half of the book was where it got interesting and I started to get interesting for me. I got used to the writing style, even though I still didn't love it, and I was more invested in his story. The way he was treated after the run-in with the cop made the book more real and intriguing. 

I was still left feeling like there was more than was unsaid by the novel. SJ and Jus's story could have been expanded on, Manny's character just switched on the issue of his friends so easily, and Jared's story... I just felt that the character development was there just not written down in a way that was understandable to me. I needed more of an explanation and more information before I could really believe what I was reading. 

I loved the premise and idea behind Jus's story, but I felt that the execution left more to be desired. The second half of Dear Martin was what saved the book for me.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars!

Waiting on Wednesday #63

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Author: Kami Garcia

Publisher: Imprint

Number of Pages: 416

Release Date: February 6, 2018

Goodreads I Amazon

Synopsis:

"Before, Peyton was a star soccer player with the perfect boyfriend, Reed. Now, she has a torn knee ligament, a scholarship on the line, and a shattered sense of self. No one believes Reed pushed her, causing her injury, and Peyton just wants to leave the trauma behind. Living with her uncle and twin cousins in their small, football-obsessed town seems like a great escape plan.
There, Peyton meets Owen—high school classmate and local MMA fighter. Though Owen is charming and gentle, Peyton is determined to repress her growing attraction. But when her old and new life collide, Peyton must reclaim the truth of her past in order to save her future."

Author: Tanaz Bhathena

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 384

Release Date: 27

Goodreads I Amazon

Synopsis:

"Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.
This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers. It tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion, and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal."