“You will hold the seams of our family together, Maia. No other tailor in the world can do that.”

– Elizabeth Lim

Specifics:

Book: Spin the Dawn

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Published: 26th June’2019

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Series: The Blood of Stars #1

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Pages: 392

My rating: 4/5

Blurb:

A GIFTED TAILOR IN DISGUISE.
THREE LEGENDARY DRESSES.
THE COMPETITION OF A LIFETIME.

On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, on r a tailor of renown. She dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well.

When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is fore fit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

The competition is cut throat, and Maia’s job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court  enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them…

BOOK 1 in the BLOOD OF STARS duology.

“War comes at a great cost, and from that sacrifice comes peace. Sometimes we must let go of what we value for the future of our country.”

– Elizabeth Lim

Review:

What do you get when you thoughtfully mix magic and the art of sewing? An extremely enjoyable tale with twists and adventures like no other!

Spin the Dawn is the first installment of The Blood of Stars duology by Elizabeth Lim. The premise of the book is so different and unique. It’s the story of a girl who wants to be the best tailor in the world in a time where that is not something that women were allowed/expected to do.

It’s the story where she tries to break stereotypes and backward thinking but at her own comfort, by posing as her brother. She does get help along the way which also gives rise to a forbidden love story (my favourite kinda love stories)

The book is narrated from Maia’s point of view and initially she comes across as a hesitant, timid girl but given that she’s posing as a boy and lying to the entire kingdom, that was definitely expected. She also tries to be righteous in the competition for being the imperial tailor and that almost costs her, her life.

But eventually, with some help from Edan, the enchanter who sees her for her true strong self, she overcomes her fears and hesitations and embraces herself and grows into a warrior.

The adventures that Edan and Maia take in order to procure the raw materials needed for Lady Sarni’s wedding are very well set. The journey is the life of the book but I was a bit dissapointed that the procuring of the item itself wasn’t that well explained as the buildup and aftermath were.

The story shows off how strong the love for family is and how weak that love can make you at the same time. It has such strong and empathetic characters who wouldn’t think twice before sacrificing themselves to protect the ones that they love, even though it means that they cannot be with them for longer. It shows off that passion, if fed in a good way and put in hard-work can always grow into something great.

The book is a very smooth and easy read. It’s like a breath of fresh air. I mean for someone who loves dresses and magic (that’s atleast 64% of us), a book that brings them both together in a way where sewing is the heart of the magic is kind of like a dream come true.

Overall it was a great read. I finished it with my friend in under 4 divided hours and I want to get into book 2 asap.

I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars.

“Sometimes finding the way is tricky, but you always do. As long as you don’t give up.”

– Elizabeth Lim

Spoiler alert:

The book had some expected but fresh plot twists and some that totally had me by surprise.

The one that I was expecting probably because it was hinted at was Edan turning into a demon. He does that to protect Maia from being claimed by a demon who marks her while she tries to get the blood of the stars.

The scissors being a gift from the goddess Amana to the tailor who stitched the dresses for her children was a happy twist. I think once Maia found out about it, she embraced the scissors even more.

Maia using her one wish from Amana to save Edan and then lying to him that she’s free too showed off her strength in such an impressive way.

Now, we obviously knew that her identity wasn’t going to be a secret but may be it’s lady Sarni’s impossible quest or that the enchanted scissors would come in handy or that her stitching was impressive, she got a chance to be the imperial tailor as Maia and not her brother. She does prove herself by managing to stitch the dresses.

Coming to the characters:

Maia Tamarin: She is a dreamer who had a very strong family and the loss of it made her even stronger. She wanted to be the imperial tailor and when opportunity came knocking it’s way, she took it and achieved it. Her art of stitching speaks for her. Her love speaks volumes of how wonderful her heart is. She sacrifices herself for everyone that matter and doesn’t bat an eyelid while doing it. I cannot wait to find out what happens to her.

Edan: He has a thousand names and he was the 7th of his parents 7 sons. From what we find out, it is obvious that he has had a harsh childhood but does not really hate that he’s under oath under a monster for a thousand years. But love triumphs and he decided to do right by Maia and even sacrifises himself to be a demon for eternity. He’s a classic example of good trying so hard to stay in while it is easy to just give in to evil.

Questions that Unravel the dusk should give us answers to:

1. How can lady Sarni evade the enchantments?
2. What happens to the emperor now that he doesn have Edan under oath anymore?
3. Will there be a war or a wedding?
4. When does Edan find out that Maia lied to him?
5. How does Maia evade the demon?
6. Will the emperor come for Maia’s family?

“You’re used to being underestimated, so you want to prove yourself. Don’t let that be your crutch. Accept help when you need it.”

– Elizabeth Lim

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. Unique story
2. has a strong and determined female character who has her flaws but is ready to embrace them
3. Projects strong family values and love
4. unpredictable
5. Adventurous
6. has a happy ending with an intriguing cliffhanger

Cons:

1. I would have liked a little more details onto the adventure itself
2. The build up was too good but the adventure ended in a page or two
3. Too many unanswered questions have me pacing for the next part of the series

“Seize the wind,” I whispered. “Don’t become the kite that never flies.”

– Elizabeth Lim

“Being with you is as good as being alone.”

– Abbi Waxman

Specifics:

Book: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

Author: Abbi Waxman

Published: 9th July’2019

Genre: Humour, Romance novel, Humorous Fiction, Domestic Fiction

Publisher: Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House

Pages: 333

My rating: 4.5/5

Blurb:

Meet Nina hill!

A young woman supremely confident in her own… shell.

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

“Nina had looked around and realized she would never run out of things to read, and that certainty filled her with peace and satisfaction. It didn’t matter what hit the fan; as long as there were unread books in the world, she would be fine.”

– Abbi Waxman

Review:

I picked up the book as a part of the monthly read-along with the @bibliophilereadingclub hosted by my amazing Sana @ofkitiesandbooks. I wanted to read the book from so long but stalled due to reasons that do not matter now that I have finished reading it. (Clearly because I’m writing a review!)

I had a lot of thoughts about the book after reading the title and seeing the cover. I thought that the lead would be a clichéd book nerd who does nothing but read and may be ends up exploring a new part of her or the opposite of that. I thought it would revolve around books and nothing more. (My imagination is obviously limited!)

Boy! Has the author proved me wrong! And she has done it so cheerfully. The book was nothing like I judged it to be. I’m glad I read it.

The Bookish Life of Nina hill is the story of an introverted trivia geek Nina who loves reading so much that she works at a bookstore and spends a lot of time organising several book clubs to encourage reading. She has a cat, Phil, who she occasionally talks to and a mom who travels a lot. But she isn’t a clichéd book-nerd. Infact, she’s nothing like it.

She has a fairly good life with good friends from work and trivia nights. She also seems to have a liking for wine. In her well ordered life, she suddenly gets a call that forces her to alter her well-organsied life.

She has an entire family. The family is so big that they have to draw a family tree to explain it to her. Such a huge change to her simple life!

I don’t wanna give out spoilers so I’m gonna stop at that here. But I can totally promise you that you will thoroughly enjoy what happens next.

The writing style is very friendly. It’s a very easy read and you will end up finishing the book without knowing it. The narration has just the right amount of a sarcastic tone to it and you will laugh your guts out at certain chapters. The chapters have an interesting twist to it. In the beginning of each chapter, you get a jist of the chapter. It’s something I’ve never seen before and I have grown a liking to it.

The characters are very well written and brought to life with the magic of Abbi Waxman. She has given a complete personality to each one of those characters and made them seem real and relatable.

The plot is good and has a smooth pace to it. If you want to read a book that makes you feel good and give you really good vibes, go with this one. It’s ending is happy and beautiful too. Just what you would need to cheer yourself up!!

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. I rate it 4.5/5.

“f you’re not scared, you’re not brave.”

– Abbi Waxman

Spoiler alert:

Now that we’re here, let’s talk about the story. I loved the little changes that happened and I loved that the author always did something I couldn’t have imagined. I love it when the story is unpredictable.

My favourite part was obviously the call form the lawyer. It was made more interesting with the enthusiastic Nephew and Brother with such similarities to Nina. The best chapter was the will reading and the part where she gets her father’s favourite car.

Nina discovers a lot about her father through so many different minds and as it turns out, he actually cared enough to creepily watch her go to school. She gets to learn driving stick (basically a car with gears) from her father’s friend which made me highly emotional.

The letters in the car were such a sweet addition to the story. I love how the letters give Nina a chance to get close to Lydia, her niece who is very angry that Nina gets a part in the will. The fight between the boomers and zoomers was hilarious.

I was so hurt when Tom and Nina broke up. But the way they get back together on the finale of the quiz competition was mind-blowing. I love their pair. Also, Tom makes bookshelves! That was so unexpected but fresh and lovely.

Shout-out to their amazing friends for getting them together. That was great too.

The book ended with – ‘They lived happily ever after’. It’s been so long that I’ve read a book with that ending and as they say, it was something I didn’t need but now that I have it, I don’t wanna let go of it.

Now that I’ve used the words ‘loved’, ‘amazing’ and all the synonyms for the word ‘funny’ to the fullest, I’ll sum it up by stating that it was a fun and a feel-good read.

“She enjoyed people—she really did—she just needed to take them in homeopathic doses; a little of the poison was the cure.”

– Abbi Waxman

Coming to some of the characters:

Nina Hill: The best example for a book nerd that I can give out to the whole wide world! She is one of the cutest characters I’ve ever read. Firstly, she isn’t the clichéd bookworm who does nothing but read because honestly do they even exist? She has a life, just like all the other bookworms that walk the planet and in that life, her priority is books. She works at a bookstore which again is goals (I don’t know how much that pays but she had a decent home with a cat so I’m guessing it’s enough), a planner nerd and she is a trivia geek. She is also very kind and loves and supports her friends. Just like everyone in the book blogging community. I’m gonna nominate her to be Queen of the Book World! All hail Queen Nina Hill! It is also very sweet how she tries to give her sister a good reading club even though she just met her. She was so full of love that she never had to bat an eye before sharing it.

Tom: The cutest boyfriend award goes to Mr Tom. He’s introduced as a member of a fellow trivia team and their friends happen to predict that they’re going to be an item soon. He is very shy yet caring and doesn’t come across as a control freak. Meaning that, he cares enough to let go. His feelings are hurt when Nina breaks up with him but they get back stronger and live happily ever after. Him, making book cases and she filling them with her books. A perfect love story!

Archie: If only they knew about each other, they would have grown up together. Archie is so much like Nina and he suffers from anxiety. He has a kid and another on the way and opens up about all the trouble he’s going through to her. It feels so candid and nice. They are like long lost twins separated at birth and it was very heart warming.

Peter: Can I get myself a nephew like him? He’s older to Nina and is kind enough to explain her about the N number of siblings and nieces and nephews that are a part of her newly found family. He is always supportive and never once flinched at the thought of a new aunt.

Lydia: I hated that Lydia didn’t wanna give Nina a chance. I was so upset that she was upsetting Nina. But turns out, she was the most like Nina and they actually get along really well and make an amazing team. I love how Lydia pressures Nina to pursue her man and encourages her to live her life to the fullest.

“Some people take energy; some people give energy . . . Occasionally, you get lucky and find someone whose energy balances your own and brings you into neutral.”

– Abbi Waxman

Reasons to read:

1. Smooth writing (can bring you out of a reading slump)
2. Very relatable (no cliché atleast not too much cliché)
3. Feels real
4. Addresses anxiety
5. Lgbtq plus
6. The lead and most of the other characters are book nerds
7. The lead works in a book store
8. A bunch of good surprises
9. A feel good book
10. Gives us a little trivia here and there as a part of the story
11. Has a bomb planner template

Cons:

I honestly cannot find any cons but I haven’t rated the book 5/5 because I didn’t go through a range of emotions and that is important for me in a book. But if I had to read the book again, I totally would.

“It also meant she thought of books as medication and sanctuary and the source of all good things. Nothing yet had proven her wrong.”

– Abbi Waxman

“Every story needs its hero. And its villain. And its monster.”

– Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Specifics:

Book: Obsidio

Author: Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Published: 13th March’2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Illuminae Files #3

Publisher: Rock the Boat, an imprint of One world Publications

Pages: 615

My rating: 4.5/5

You can read the review of the part II of the series by clicking on its title, GEMINA!

Blurb:

Asha Grant came to Kerenza to escape her past.
Too bad he just caught up with her.

Asha survived BeiTech’s initial assault and has been working underground with the hopelessly outmatched resistance ever since. The last thing she expected to worry about was her ex-boyfriend, Rhys Lindstrom who just landed planet-side. is he her way out – or a guarantee she never gets off thia frozen rock alive?

But Asha’s not the only one with problems. Her cousin Kady’s ragtag band of survivors are headed for Kerenza – without enough exygen to last their journey. Oh, and there might be an insurrection brewing.

With BeiTech hurting to repair their damaged jump gate, and a mass extermination planned for the Kerenza civilians, only a miracle could save them now. And everyone knows that miracles are just statistical probabilities… right?

Briefing note: From bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff comes the exciting finale in the trilogy that broke the mold and has been called “stylistically mesmerizing” and “out-of-this-world-awesome.”

“Have you noticed

all the moments we live

and all the miles we walk

never seem to get us anywhere but dead?”

– Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Review:

What in the fucking hell? The authors have played with my emotions , somehow a 100 times more than any of my exes ever have!

This was a roller coaster! An emotional fucking roller coaster! I hated every bit of it  because it made my heart skip a beat with all the elements that were incorporated. And there I sat, thinking I am adventure loving person who enjoys roller coasters!

I hated it so much that I can’t stop loving it. I hope that the authors go to hell which just has a sign saying it’s hell but it’s really the heaven in disguise. Ughhh! I just can’t breathe. You guys made me cry. You’re evil.

The third part of the Illuminae files series, brings everything that happened in the first two installments of the trilogy together and adds in a mix of its own troubles and characters. It was beautifully woven into one grand finale.

“Things always look darkest in the middle of the night.”

– Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The story picks off at the court hearing of Leanne Frobisher, the lady behind the BeiTech’s assaults and cover-ups. The illuminae Files group presents its final compilation of evidence in front of the court in an attempt to find justice and avenge the deaths of all the people that they have lost.

The best part of the book is the way it’s written. Sometimes, we rotate the book in various ways to read what’s written and it’s the most creative way I’ve ever seen to make a book interesting. It’s so impactful, the writing.

The characters, again are so strong and determined inspite of their flaws. There is no sex discrimination what so ever. If our future is going to be atleast 50% of how it’s in the book, we would live in peace and harmony.

Somehow these teenagers from 2075 have a more happening life then I, a 23 year old good for nothing piece of shit has now. How have they found true love? How have they lost everything they every had? How have they triumphed over their emotions and did what’s right for the moment? Aghhhhhhhhhh!

I think my biggest take away from the book is the United front that these characters try and bring out to win their lives inspite of the odds not being in their favour. There were mishaps that crush you, obviously but there are also so many heart melting moments that make you wanna curl up and cry happy tears.

The book brought together everything that has happened in the previous book with a lot of new inputs that make for a thrilling finale. There are no disappointments here. It’s just that the part II was insane and this one was just a little short of making me feel the same way as Gemina did.

Irrespective of the claims that this series is monotonous, I didn’t really feel so even though I was looking for it. Yes, some of the events were similar but it always hit in a different way. May be it was because I was emotionally invested in the series so much that I couldn’t be critical.

I rate it 4.5/5

Spoiler alert:

Let’s talk about every time the taps in my eyes were opened..

This is a list of all the events that made my heart ache:

1. Death of Syra boll (I would have destroyed Garver)
2. When that little girl is killed and we don’t know if it’s Katya!
3. The rise and fall of Aidan
4. Aidan falling in love with Kady (Robo much)
5. Aidan killing 2000 people so that atleast the remaining 1000 can make it (it was a harsh decision but omg, that many dead people on a ship!)
6. When the real Katya was actually shot and Asha crying!
7. Issac grant being the amazing dad that he is not only to Kady or extend it to Ella but to everyone else by writing them notes (ain’t he the cutest?)
8. The alleged death of Nik and Ezra! (I sort of had a feeling that they’ll make it because as evil as our authors are, they are suckers for happy endings)

But, a parachute saved them all and also, they did manage to go to that lunch that Nik paid for. Did he borrow money from Hannah? We don’t know!

The hearing was a freaking amazing scene with bad-ass dialogues. The authors gave us everything with just a picture of the illuminae group in the end. I was mind blown.

“There’a billion different versions of you out there, in a trillion different universes, And I still can’t get over how lucky I am that, out of all those versions, you’re the one that’s mine.”

– Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

We had a few new main characters:

Asha Grant: First, I thought she was younger to Kady but she announces that she is elder to her and she loves her so much that she leaves messages to Kady on her plampad even though she has assumed that Kady is dead. Their reunion via the communication systems is so heart whelming. Asha had a younger sister who was killed and she somehow feels responsible for it as she skips her duty of taking her home and goes to a bar instead. She has her name tattooed and tries to right this by taking care of Katya. She is a very brave pharmacy intern who somehow becomes a nurse too. Absolutely loved her.

Cherry Lindstrom: Mr Not so Goody two shoes was the passionate and dangerous lover or ex-lover turned lover of Asha Grant. Their love was wild. The kind that had tattoos involved. The kind that got each other into danger. The kind that got each other exiled from their planets. He was thrown into BeiTech crew due to death of the others and he helps them in their mad escape plan. He would do anything to protect Asha and I love him for that.

Katya: Oh my baby Mouse! When in an incident the BeiTech workers kill a little girl, I was so scared that it’s Katya. Also, when she gets shot, I legit cried. Thank god she’s alive and well and with her mother.

“Miracles are statistical improbabilities.”

– Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. An absolutely delightful emotional rollercoaster
2. It’s a sci-fi fantasy which will make you laugh, cry and sometimes even die a little
3. Amazing story line
4. Powerful characters (both male and female with no difference at all)
5. Justice is served in the end!
6. A lot of swearing (why is this in the pro list? You’ll have to fucking read to find out!)
7. A beautiful end to an astonishingly mind-blowing trilogy

Cons:

1. There’s a lot of violence and deaths which may be triggering to a few people
2. The swearing may not be easy to understand for few since they block it out and we have to fill in the blanks (it’s like a game) I don’t even know why I put this in the con but okay!

“Live a life worth dying for.”

– Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”

― Leigh Bardugo

Specifics:

Book: Six of Crows 

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Published: 29th Sept’2015

Genre: Young adult fiction, Fantasy Fiction

Series: Six of Crows, Duology

Publisher of the collectors edition: Orion Children’s Books

Pages: 491

My rating: 4.5/5

Blurb:

Ketterdam: A bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. 

Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist: break into the Ice Court – a military stronghold that has never been breached – and retrieve a hostage whose knowledge could change Grisha magic forever. To succeed would mean riches beyond his wildest dreams, but he can’t pull it off alone. 

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heart-render using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Six dangerous outcasts.

One impossible heist. Together they might just be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first. 

“No mourners. No funerals.”

― Leigh Bardugo

Review: 

This was probably the book that was recommended to me the most and thus became a book that I almost picked up on several occasions but failed due to the anticipation that  had me worried that I would be disappointed and won’t like it.

I finally managed to pick it up at a very slow pace with a fellow bookish friend, Sakshi @fictionalcravings. We took it slow, reading around 20-30 pages a day and the reading and the discussion that followed was something I looked forward to everyday. 

I was not disappointed at all. In fact, it was a very very good book. My inner soul was appealed to and it is very happy about it. 

The premise of the book was alluring. The blurb made it so interesting already and I obviously figured out that we would have 6 important characters. I couldn’t wait to find out who the 6 were and how they would get along given that the blurb states that they might just kill one another. 

The book started off with an outsiders view of what would become the central reason for the so called ‘impossible heist’ that was to be performed. The lead, Kaz Brekker (another one of my book boyfriends) , is a highly feared leader of a gang called ‘The Dregs’. He is known as Dirty Hands and he lives up to his nickname.

The other 5 characters are unique and their personalities are very well built and explained. I guess that’s the magic of Leigh Bardugo. The best part of the story was how each character had a back story and it was revealed at the right moments and it worked wonders in keeping me hooked.

The location of the plot was well explained. The maps that were a part of the collectors edition were magical and I frequently referred to them each time a place was described. It made the reading a lot more fun. 

• 

• 

The narrative was deep, funny and adventure-filled. Everything felt impossible and yet somehow plausible. My heart was in my hands and I was manually pumping it. 

The book started off as a heavy read but ended up flowing smooth and easy. I didn’t want to stop reading but I also didn’t want it to be over. I do not often feel so about books. I was so invested in the story that ‘the feeling that the end has come’ was terrifying me. 

We do have an ending. It isn’t complete, given that it is a duology and a cliff hanger was expected but I award this book with the best cliff-hanger ever written in a series. It made sure that everyone will not only fall in love with this book but also possibly fight the world to read the next installment.

Also, props to the author for how well she managed to highlight Kazs disability to be a strong trait of him and not a hindrance. Often, we see characters with disabilities that they have to overcome to win or find happiness. Leigh Bardugo definitely will revolutionize such narratives with this approach. 

I cannot wait to get on to ‘The Crooked Kingdom’. The only good thing about reading this book so late is that I don’t have to die waiting for the next part. 

I would also like to add that the ‘GRISHAVERSE’ was a new concept to me and I was worried I wouldn’t understand since I haven’t read the ‘Shadow and Bone’ series as a lot of people claimed but I had no problem adjusting to it. In fact, can I please be a part of it? I’m tired of this universe now.

I rate the book 4.5/5. 

“It’s not natural for women to fight.”

“It’s not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”

― Leigh Bardugo

Spoiler alert

Coming to my favourite parts of the book, there were quite a few times I felt like this is the best part! That I feel is a very wonderful quality to find in a book. 

The backstories of everyone were not only insightful but also heartbreaking. So let’s talk about the backstories while also discussing the characters. 

Kaz Brekker: Kaz using the dead body of his brother, Jordie Rietveld, to stay afloat the river, he and Jordy being cheated on by a man and the man turning out to be Pekka Rollins was shocking. Pekka Rollins not caring enough to even remember this boy that he destroyed in and out and Kaz making sure that he will only end him once he remembers is the most demonic and somehow also the most humane thing I’ve ever seen. Brekker is also not kaz’s actual last name! I think Kaz has a lot of love inside that he doesn’t want to shower on anyone probably because of his fear of losing them. He puts on a evil front to ensure that he never gets crossed again. 

Inej Ghafa: I cannot imagine the Shadow, the Wraith aka our Inej being forcefully sold to customers at the house of exotics owned by the cruel Tantee Heleen. She was sold to her after being kidnapped at a young age and is freed with the help of Kaz. She was already trained in acrobatics by her father and Kaz makes sure to sharpen her skills to make her a perfect spy. She definitely has a thing for Kaz, her saviour. She joins the heist and plans on becoming a sailor with a crew of her own to burst menagerie’s and free girls. Heleen was very cruel to her and assaulted her on several occasions. During the heist, Inej is insulted by Tante Heleen but manages to steal her most priced diamond. That was one suck burn. Inej has knifes that she named after saints that are like a layer of clothing to her. Sankt Petyr(given to her by Kaz Brekker), Sankta Alina, Sankta Marya, Sankta Anastasia, Sankt Vladimir and Sankta Lizabeta are all hidden on different places on her body. 

Nina Zenik: She is the badass Grisha with the powers of a heartrender. She worked in the House of white rose and Kaz promises her to break Mathias out of prison if she agrees to join the heist. In her past, we learn that she was a part of the second army which tried to save Grisha from the drüskelle and also make them a part of the army. But she is caught by Mathias and put on a ship to Fjerda. In a unique chain of events, a storm overturns the ship and she helps Mathias escape. They become allies and reach Kerch where in order to protect him from being murdered for being a witch hunter, surrenders him to the Kerch prison accusing him of slave trading. Since then, she doesn’t leave ketterdam trying to find ways to get him out. In the end, she swallows the Jurda Parem in order to save them all form the Fjerdan soldiers. She manages to save them all but is a slave to the side affects of Jurda withdrawal. I loved her so much I want to cry. I hope she and Mathias get a shot at love. 

Jesper Fahey: Jesper, a beloved sharpshooter of the dregs! Oh wait! There’s nothing beloved to the dregs. So Jesper was knows f*I’ll have you raw kqz breaker or not have you at all”or his addictions with gambling and agrees to the heist because he wasn’t to repay his debts and buy back his father’s farm which he loans out claiming to need money for his studies. He claims to not value Wylan but turns out really disappointed that he didn’t see him much after the heist was done and also that he was blinded about the plan of sabotaging Van Eck. During the heist, we also discover that he is a Fabrikator. He is unsure of weather or not he wants to pursue his powers.

Mathias Helvar: Helvar was raised to be a drüskelle and was filled with hatred against the Grisha corporalki. He is however an honest and reasonable soul who was directed towards the wrong direction. As soon as he realises what’s right, he is shoved into hellgate without knowing why Nina lied to him. He spends his gruesome time in the hellgate with only one wish i.e. to destroy Nina Zenik. Once he realises the truth, he’s back to his normal self. When he turns against the gang inside the ice court, I couldn’t believe what I was reading and I’m glad I didn’t because now I also know that he is spontaneous and truthful to people who treat him well. He added the humour quotient to the narrative. The cat fight between Nina and Helvar, honestly felt like Lou and Reid from Serpent and Dove but since this book came before that, I think it’s the vice versa. 

Wylan Van-Eck: This innocent and cute little boy who is the son of Jan Van-Eck, the merchant who gives Kaz this job, comes off as a burden that could hinder the heist but turns out to be very useful. He is not only very artistic and helps in recreating the map of the ice court with Mathias but also is their plan B in case Jan Van-Eck tries to double cross them. He is the kid of the group and I loved the banter between him and Jasper. I would like a romance between them. Hell, I already ship them. I felt that he was terribly side-tracked because we do not have even a single chapter with his narrative. I would have liked that. In the end, we find out that Jan actually is disappointed and wants nothing to do with him because he cannot read and the revelation is like a re-birth to Wylan. Poor soul, I felt so bad for him. 

“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”

― Leigh Bardugo

There’s so much to look out for in the next part:

1. Inej has been abducted 
2. The son of Bo Yol-Bayur (Kuwei) and Nina are in the hiding and Nina is still recovering from the affects of Jurda Parem.
3. The last chapter was from Pekka Rollins’ narrative and it sure was one hell of a challenge and I want to know if Kaz really signed off his harbors or was that a trick and if it wasn’t, how is he gonna get it all back. 
4. Will kaz ever express his love to Inej? Or will he be worried that it’ll put Inej in more danger and chose to love from a distance? 
5. Will Matthias and Nina get a chance to be together? 
6. Will Jasper try to learn and develop his skills as a Grisha Fabrikator?

“We are all someone’s monster.”

― Leigh Bardugo

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. A bad-ass story 
2. Amazingly talented men and women 
3. Very unique personality representations 
4. It empowers disability, that is a very new and necessary take on how world views the specially-abled. 
5. It’s crazy (we all need crazy in our lives) 6. I haven’t found any cliches and I love it (cliche free) 

Cons: 

1. The cliffhanger 
2. The urge to read the next part immediately

P.S. I know that the cons are pros too but sometimes people don’t have the time and it can get frustrating (aka go to hell Pg prep) 

P.S.S. Yes, I’m talking about me! 

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you’ll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won’t matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart.”

― Leigh Bardugo

“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”

-Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff

Specifics:

Book: Gemina

Author: Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Published: 18th Oct’2016

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Illuminae Files #2

Publisher: Rock the Boat, an imprint of One world Publications

Pages: 659

My rating: 5/5

Blurb:

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

Hanna is the captain’s pampered daughter. Nik is the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. While the pair are struggling with the realities of life abroad the Jump Station Heimdall, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right towards them carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the date of everyone on the Hypatia – and possibly the known universe – is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Gemina raises the stake of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

“Apparently she’s got revenge on her mind, and it’s really annoying when people try to talk at you while you’re feeling murderish.”

-Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff

Review:

The second installment of the illumine files series, Gemina has been stated to be the best part of the trilogy by several coveted book reviewers. I cannot be the judge of that, having not read Obsibio, but it was handsdown one of the best Sci-Fi Fantasies I’ve ever read.

The book exceeded my expectations and was a whole package. It will be easier for me to list out the things that the book did not offer as there will be none to name on that list. Do you imagine me screaming yet?

Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman have a very unique writing style and I feel like they take it up a notch every time they come together to write another mind-blowing series for us to lose our shit on. (Yes, I’ll be using some subtle swear words in this review. You cannot do a Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman review without swear words. So F*** the censorboard for this one and roll with it. )

So if I haven’t made it clear yet, I loved every f***ing thing about the book. Now that we’ve established that, let’s jump right into the review!

The book, as the name of the series suggests, is a file of the unfolding of a case involving BeiTech which did something terrible and tried to cover it up but failed miserably (as far as we know and assume because never trust these authors to stick to the obvious).

The book starts with the prosecution of Leanne Frobisher, executive director of BeiTech regarding the unbelievable crimes that she commited with a request to review the illuminae files.

The story then picks off at the Jump station Heimdall  with our badass Hanna Donnnlly, the daughter of the chief of the station who’s in love with Jackson Merrick and in touch with a drug dealer Nik Malikov(book boyfriend made!!!) , preparing for the Terra day celebrations!

The book is basically a collection of texts(whisperNET), cctv footage reviews, plampad exchanges (special off the network messaging service), Hanna donleys’ amazing illustrated journal, Emails and recorded audio footage from coms. Actually, it has a lot of other things but I’m too elated to gather everything atm.

I do not think I’ll find a more interesting or creative writing style elsewhere in my life. It basically feels like a graphic novel meets scifi fantasy meets the best mind-blowing story ever. (I know I don’t make sense but read the book and I will start to make sense or rather we will start not making sense together :p) 

We are also introduced to Nik aka the drug dealer’s cousing(cuz) Ella Malikova and a few other characters. The few other characters also include a particular parasite called Lamina that Nik’s uncle breeds in cow brains to make a drug to sell off for recreational purposes.

The Lamina are such an interesting touch to the story. There are so many things that feel irrelevant or like fillers but in the end everything, everything comes together. There are so many hints in the story leading to the end that you will realise once you keep reading and run back to that page to re-read.

As the blurb says, the BeiTech sends a fleet of its officers of various ranks to take care of the problems on jump-station Heimdall and it’s up to Hanna and Nik to fend them off. And boy do they make an interesting job of it!

I did not see ups and downs to the story. It was an upward curve for me. As I kept reading it, everything shot up. My excitement, my anxiety, my laughter (because teenagers in 2075 are witty apparently) , my want to reach the end and find out what happens and my sorrow (if you’ve read their books you know that they can kill anyone, like anyone). 

Well, the thing is, you feel like after the authors put in so much into the book, the ending will be plain. But no! They do not stop. The excitement from the twists I’ve felt in the last 20 pages was no where near in comparison with what I felt in the parts leading up to them. And that ending! What an ending man! Now this is what is called as giving your fans everything and secretly taking it away without them noticing.

With so much happening, my brain has automatically rated the book – 5/5 stars. (Only my third one this year y’all)

Why is the book called Gemina? How does the book link itself to the first part of the series? Who dies? Who lives? To find out a few insights into these things, read my spoilers underneath but make sure you either have read the book or are okay with spoilers becasue this is a warning.

“Now, children, watch closely. Hold your breath. Listen. And I will show you the components of calamity.”

-Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff

Spoiler alert:

Okay y’all! I am not sure if I should even be allowed near anything remotely fragile right now because I’m jumping with joy from all the developments and surprising twists that took place in this book. Let me list out the ones that blew my mind.

1. AIDAN is back and he’s a frenemy as usual (ikr, I was squealing too). So he isn’t announced exactly, he just starts reviewing CCTV footage and it felt oddly familiar but I read illuminae almost half a year back and I couldn’t comprehend. Once this was revealed, holy shit.

2. Jax aka Jackson Merrick is not who he claims to be. He’s a double agent whose actual name is Rapier (middle name) and he works for BeiTech. I almost had a crush on him but then I hated him so much. But he does redeem himself in the end by helping Hannah escape. I forgive you, Mr. Rapier!

3. There is an alternate dimension. That’s what the GEMINA PARTICLE signifies. Something related to the alternate dimension. I’m too dumb to quantify this but if anyone else has more insights, kindly share with me. So when Nik dies, it broke me. And then Kady enters and tells Hannah that they are receicing two transmissions where the other one claims to be Nik and announces that Hannah is dead. So the head of Heimdall realises that this is an alternate dimension and well, MIND BLOWWWWN.

4. AIDAN helps them restore the inter-dimensional balance and also manages to save all of them. (Who ever is left that is!)

5. A good addition was the BeiTech team members profiles being X’d out each time they’re killed. It felt like an achievement somehow, even though I had nothing to do with it.

I think I covered the parts that indulged me the most from the most indulging book ever. Let’s talk about the main characters.

HANNA DONNELLY: There will never be enough bad ass female characters in our bookish world and Hanna Donnlley is definitely one of them. After giving us Kady Grant in the first book, the authors made sure to satisfy our hungry for more action packed female leads with Hanna. She’s a teenager who has a fairly normal life that any teenager of a rich and powerful dad (not that I would know how it feels like but roll with it). She gets her over priced designer space suits and has a cute boy friend but when a storm hits in the form of invaders, she puts her best foot forward and does everything in her power to survive and also save the other survivors.

NIKLAS MALIKOV: Ugh! The cute and awesome and sexy and amazing and wonderful Nik! He’s a drug seller and a murderer to start with but in the end we find out that he went to the prison covering for his younger brother. We learn that is the sweetest guy trying to done a negative face (actually he wasn’t trying, but I felt like he was or may be the authors were painting him that way) but he is hella romantic and badass and very spontaneous. It killed me when the authors killed him. But hey, he’s back and can I kiss him already?

ELLA MALIKOVA: The mastermind! The spider! The best example for making the best of what you have. She might have taken that statement up a lot of notches with all her talent that makes up for her inability to walk. I’m in love with her. When we were kept under the impression that she died, I gasped. It was not fair at all. I hated it. But then she comes back and what a come back! She’s amazing and I’m glad she has Nik for a brother. They’ll need each other now that they’re all that’s left of their family.

JACKSON MERRICK: Hanna’s journal entries made me fall in love with Jax. He was the ideal boyfriend. I so wanted to go on a date with him but well, he was a double agent. He was the reason why Heimdall was easily hijacked by the BeiTech team and I somehow had the hunch in between becasue he was able to contact Hanna every now and then even after the communications were down. But he does redeem himself by sacrificing his life to make sure the others get off safe. I guess I don’t hate him anymore.

• 

• 

“You might get only one shot. So shoot. You know who said that?”

The rifle clatters to the bloody floor.

“Hanna FUCKING Donnelly. That’s who.”

-Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. Best everything! Ever!!
2. Amazing descriptions of the ships
3. It’s in 2075, so hello future
4. Really witty writing
5. The fight sequences are amazeballs
6. Clever writing
7. Aidan is back!!!
8. The Gemina Particle (I’m not revealing what it is because it’s the best part of the story according to me)
9. The love stories are subtle but cute
10. Best badass female characters
11. Amazing twists and surprises

Cons:

1. The deaths will give you heatattacks (They kill everyone you start liking, these authors, they are heartless)
2. Drugs, violence and murders may be triggering
3. You will waste all your time reading this book, you won’t be able to stop (trust me, I tried)

“If you were to create a piece of art, what would the subject be?

I haven’t met her yet. :)”

-Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff

“The wonderful thing about reality is that it is highly flexible. One minute, all is doom; the next, everything is abloom with possibility.”

– Maureen Johnson

Specifics:

Book: The Hand on the Wall

Author: Maureen Johnson

Published: 21^st Jan’2020

Genre: Mystery, YA Fiction

Series: Book 3 in the Truly Devious trilogy

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

Pages: 368

My rating: 5/5

Blurb:

‘SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE FAMOUS FOR MURDERS’

Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie’s greatest triumph . . .

She knows who Truly Devious is. She’s solved it. The greatest case of the century.

At least, she thinks she has. With this latest tragedy, it’s hard to concentrate on the past. Not only has someone died in town, but David disappeared of his own free will and is up to something. Stevie is sure that somehow—somehow—all these things connect. The three deaths in the present. The deaths in the past. The missing Alice Ellingham and the missing David Eastman. Somewhere in this place of riddles and puzzles there must be answers.

Then another accident occurs as a massive storm heads toward Vermont. This is too much for the parents and administrators. Ellingham Academy is evacuated. Obviously, it’s time for Stevie to do something stupid. It’s time to stay on the mountain and face the storm—and a murderer.

In the tantalizing finale to the Truly Devious trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson expertly tangles her dual narrative threads and ignites an explosive end for all who’ve walked through Ellingham Academy.

Review:

I picked up the book after much deliberation. Tbh, I wanted to read it as soon as I had my hands on it but I couldn’t and I regret that it is only today that I have been able to discover this masterpiece.

I picked it up and I couldn’t put it down. Trust me, because I tried. I could not sleep, eat or focus on anything else. Even as I finished it, it was all I could think of. I devoured the book. No, the book devoured me.

Books tend to do that sometimes. Be so good that they make you question your existence if you do not find out how they end!

The highly anticipated finale to the epitome of thriller trilogies that is The Truly Devious series, The Hand on the Wall was like a breeze of fresh air. It had everything that the previous books missed. Just the right amount of suspense, the right amount of sass, the right amount of teenage stupidity that leads to amazing adventures and breathtaking discoveries that support the plot so well, it hurts.

I had one problem with the first book that the main lead, Stevie Bell was a tad bit annoying but she grew so much through the series that I am so in awe with her. All the characters became their best selves and the author managed to shine light on everyone. I am glad that all the mysteries have been solved, both of the past and the present.

The book, just like its two predecessors, was narrated in two timelines. One is the present usually from Stevie Bells’ point of view and the other is of the happenings in the Ellingham Academy during the time of the original kidnappings and murders. Nowhere did I feel like I was being given too much to contemplate or too little. Never was I confused.

The narration is so smooth; it slides and wins you over. It is a medium sized book with around 365 pages but you would have been halfway through it in no time and wouldn’t realize. I am a huge fan of the writing. The author did an amazing job at impressing us not only with the plot but also her story-telling.

I have fan-girled about the book with so many people and I have seen that the reception is pretty common. Everyone simply loved it. From the story, to the characters, to the narration and to the peace it brings us from knowing the mystery in its entirety, the book was amazing.

I rate it 5/5 stars. (I am still squealing, as I write this)

“Anxiety, her therapist had told her many times, never killed anyone. It felt like death, but it was an illusion. A terrible illusion that inhabited your body and tried to make it its puppet. It told you nothing mattered because everything was made of fear.”

– Maureen Johnson

Spoilers ahead

Here is how I got my second 5/5 read of the year.

First of all, the plot twists! They were some that were subtle and others, breathtaking. Starting off with simple ones like Hunter being called to stay in the academy following his aunts death or David randomly coming up to the academy and asking his fellow house-mates to hide long enough so that they get to stay back given that the blizzard will make it hard for them to leave later (This honestly felt like a lock-down situation but in a very beautiful place stuffed with everything they need to survive and more – a quarantine picnic)

Then there were huge and clever discoveries like Francis’ diary that led them to the underground grotto, the painting made by Leonardo Holmes Nair focusing on the dome where Alice was buried and importantly the fact that Alice wasn’t the birth-child of the Ellinghams. As I kept reading and discovering, my life started feeling more and more complete!

My favorite parts were the discovery of Alice by George Marsh, David destroying the racist billboard put up by his dad’s campaign near Stevie’s house using the dynamite found in the underground grotto (that was immensely clever), the whole trapped in the academy situation, the wall scanner leading them to discover so many things and Stevie keeping the one last secret of the secret adoption of Alice by the Ellinghams, a secret so that the money from the codicil would go to the academy and not herself.

“Every contact leaves a trace.” 

– Maureen Johnson

The most heart wrenching and touching part was a little addition of Iris, Albert and Alice having a conversation in the Ballroom that was built for 101 couples like a normal family after the mystery is solved.

“Alice…

Stevie could hear her playing. She was running through the ballroom, her tiny patent leather shoes sliding on the floor, a ball bouncing ahead of her.

“Should we let her have the ball in here?” Iris said, “With the mirrors?”

“Of course!” said Albert. “It will be alright. Come on now, Alice! Give it a bounce! When you bounce your ball in here, you will see a hundred bouncing balls!”

Some clever lines were said that make so much sense to the current situation. One that stole the show and made me roll on the floor laughing was:

“Why were humans wired like this? Why were we built with a current that could short out our powers of reason and judgment at any time? Why were we filled with chemicals that make us stupid? How could you feel so excited and enraged and like you were being pierced with a thousand emotional needles in the brain all at the same time?”

I have one concern and it probably is stupid but I was really rooting for Stevie and David to find a way to open the hatch in the underground grotto apart from using the dynamite. Given that it was a secret lair with a way to enter, may be it had a way to exit too? However, this does not take away my amazement at the book.

The Ellingham Mystery solved: (This is my understanding)

1. George Marsh with the help of two goons tried to kidnap Iris to clear a debt of around 20,000 dollars that he landed in due to gambling.
2. It went wrong in many ways starting with Alice accompanying her mother on this particular trip and the two goons getting greedy to keep all the money to them.
3. The discovery of George Marsh by Dottie Epstein leading to the fateful fall to her death in the tunnel in the lake only contributed to complicate the matters.
4. Following the kidnapping, Iris tries to escape and is shot and Alice is taken to a nice family for safe-keeping.
5. Meanwhile, George Marsh discovers that Alice is her daughter, the result of a fling between him and Flora Robinson.
6. He tries to find her with all his will now and succeeds at it but unfortunately, she has succumbed to measles.
7. In a rage, he kills one of the goons that led him to her and the family that didn’t get medical help and brings the remains of Alice back to bury near her family.
8. He buries her in the tunnel assuming that the occupants of the house are back but Leo finds out and confronts him to which he says that it is for the good of Albert.
9. Albert later deciphers from the sentence that Dottie underlines on her book that George Marsh is involved and decides to end things with a blast on the boat ride in Lake Chaplin.
10. Leo makes a painting dedicated to the Ellinghams highlighting the presence of Alice in the dome and hides the codicil to prevent further claims and chaos.
11. The truly devious letter is revealed to be a revenge-prank by Francis and Eddie.

All that I care about starts at nine

Dance twelve hundred steps on the northern line

To the left bank three hundred times

E+A

Line flag

Tiptoe

-Excerpt from the personal diary of Francis (Maureen Johnson)

The current mystery solved: (This is my understanding)

1. The trunk containing the remains of Alice is found during a process of clearing the tunnel to build an art barn by Charles and he sees an opportunity at getting 70 million dollars, all to himself.
2. He deciphers a plan of having someone outside Ellingham find out the body because the staff of Ellingham cannot claim the fortune to themselves.
3. In this process, he murder Hayes who overhears his discussions about the body, Ellie, who is a close confidant to Hayes and Dr Irene Fenton who fails to comply his request and wants to give Alice some justice.
4. Doubting that Stevie might decipher this, he shines a message at her wall to make her sound like a lunatic after Hayes’ murder.
5. He also rigs Janelle’s machine to finally evacuate the space to find a place to bury her body to be found by someone later and to claim the money.
6. However, our clever Stevie sees through all of this and confronts him. She also finds Alice’s remains with the help of Larry and Janelle’s wall scanner.
7. Charles, in an attempt to escape, falls to his death and is later proved with substantial evidence to be involved in the three murders.

Not gonna discuss the characters in detail because it is a trilogy and there are characters from the past and the present but props to the growth that they had through the series. This has to be made into a movie. Someone, please make this into a movie.

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. Answers to all questions are in here
2. Clever and smooth writing
3. The mystery is very well constructed
4. Strong and well built characters
5. The plot will sweep you off of your feet
6. Has a map

Cons:

1. The series is over, there is nothing after it
2. Things like murder can be a trigger

“Anxiety does not ask your permission. Anxiety does not come when expected. It’s very rude. It barges in at the strangest moments, stopping all activity, focusing everything on itself It sucks the air our of your lungs and scrambles the world.”

– Maureen Johnson

“When I’m with you, I feel I can breathe.”

– Sandhya Menon

Specifics:

Book: From Twinkle, With Love

Author: Sandhya Menon

Published: 22^nd May’18

Genre: Romance Novel, Fiction

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton (Hachette UK)

Pages: 330

My rating: 4/5

Blurb:

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories to tell and universes to explore – if only the world would listen. So when nerdy classmate and fellow film-obsessive Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a film for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle can’t wait.

The chance to showcase her artistic voice?

Dream come true.

The opportunity to get closer to longtime crush, Neil Roy – aka Sahil’s twin brother?

Dream come even truer.

When Twinkle receives an email from a secret admirer –the mysterious ‘N’ – she is sure it’s Neil, finally ready for their happy ending.

The only problem is that, in the course of their movie-making, she has found herself falling for Sahil – the wrong brother.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: the romance she’s got isn’t the one she scripted…

But will it be enough?

“Geeks are smart and talented and passionate. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

– Sandhya Menon

Review:

CUTE… ADORABLE… REAL… If I had to use three words to describe the book, these will be it.

Okay, first things first, Twinkle is an adorable young lady on a path to become a strong and opinionated woman. She is still a teenager though. And the author ensures to make this character feel like a regular teenager and not some perfect girl that could only exist in another dimension. But, that is also, according to me the strongest point of Sandhya Menon’s storytelling – to write characters so real and down to Earth that you can see their life and growth unfolding before your eyes.

Did you understand that I fangirl over the mere mention of Sandhya Menon already? Let’s jump into the review, now that I’ve made that clear.

The story is very well constructed. It feels real. (I know I’m using this word too many times but it’s just the truth) It keeps you hooked with its very casual twists and interesting plot points. It is also a quick read with its smooth writing and comfortable use of language. The premise is well set. The whole idea of how things work at PPC is gonna be stuck in my mind for quite some time now.

Menon also successfully touches your heart with some parts of her story. Did I cry? Maybe just thrice! But, it isn’t too often that I cry at books. It’s a rare quality that very few authors have and I find it absolutely amazing. (There I go, fangirling over Sandhya Menon again)

The characters are very well built. Their strengths and weaknesses are detailed out and the way they blossom into better human beings at the end of the story is commendable. I would definitely recommend this book to teens because not only does it have good and strong characters but those characters are regular teenagers who make regular teenager mistakes and are faced with the challenge to choose between trying to make things right or lose it and continue making the mistakes. This is something that every teenager goes through and a little guidance with books like these will help them a lot.

Being an Indian, I absolutely loved the little bits of Indian parenting in-fusion with parenting abroad. It was very relatable and funny. I thoroughly enjoyed my read and also finished the book in under 4 hours (not at a stretch though but in 2 days because of duties).

I rate the book 4/5 stars.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

Where do I start? Well, the story has a very good flow. I can see a Twinkle Mehra who has always been under the shadow of others (Groundling, in her terms), growing arrogant and entitled with a little attention. I can see how she, being a teenager, demands people to treat her like royalty. I love that she is faced with a challenge where she chooses to correct herself and do right by everyone. Her jealousy, her tantrums, her zeal and her passion make her a completely normal teen and a good role model to other teens because of her choices.

The sacrifices that Twinkle’s parents and grandparents made to give her a better life is beyond beautiful. The little backstories that we got about her maternal grandmother and her mother’s childhood were strong additions to the plot. I cried my heart out when Twinkle’s mother couldn’t go back home to take care of her mother due to financial instability.  This was heartbreaking.

“Sometimes I worry I don’t know who I really am. Sometimes I’m afraid nothing I do will ever be enough to set me apart.”

– Sandhya Menon

Coming to the characters:

TWINKLE: I have already given a picture of what she is. Something I loved about her is that though she was under-confident in the beginning, she still had dreams and she somehow felt that she will accomplish them. Her relationships with her parents, Dadi and friends (especially Maddie) are all complicated and she manages to resolve them by the end and that was a good way to conclude the story.

Dadi: The cutest in the world!! She loved Twinkle. She loved her with everything that she had and I think is also responsible for shaping her character and keeping her from breaking down. I love the addition of the dog that dadi thinks is her late husband. The addition of the friendships with the firemen because of the fire accidents caused by her candle-burning is hilarious.

Sahil Roy: If someone had a crush on me, I will want him/her to be a Sahil Roy. Actually, can I have a real-life incarnation of a Sahil Roy with a crush on me, please? He is also so cute and adorable. He is a freaking feminist and doesn’t care about people judging him for working towards his goals and future-girlfriend. He is hella supportive but doesn’t come off too strong, so that’s an amazing quality. Dear real-life incarnation of Sahil Roy, will you marry me?

Maddie: I thought I hated her but then I started to fall for her because this is me. I cannot shower you with love by being loud about it. It is all about the small gestures. And Maddie, badass, all-rounder, to-be scientist-doctor Maddie, torn apart with her love for Twinkle and her new friends, though had a struggle, ended up managing everything pretty well.

What are you waiting for? Go and pick this book up!

Reason’s to pick this book:

1. Fast read
2. Relatable story line
3. Has the right type of feminists – the best part is that it has them in both genders
4. Will be a great influence on teens
5. LGBTQ plus
6. Well constructed characters that show a growth towards positive side
7. A cute romance that had me teary eyed
8. Representation of various cultures and nationalities while not sounding even a single bit racist.

Cons:

1. Honestly, I cannot really think of any except for the fact that it was over too soon.
2. If I stress my brain too much to add to the column, maybe I would really love to have insights on the feminist version of Dracula remake and not just the interviews.

“I watched Papa’s hands as he talked about his work, and I realized something: He cared about his at-risk youth just as much as Sahil’s mom and dad cared about the state of higher education in our country. The difference was, because of their education and fancy degrees, they could afford to pay money to contribute to their cause. Papa’s work had to be in person; his donation was his time, his family, and himself.”

– Sandhya Menon

“…at some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

Specifics:

Book: City of Girls

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Published: 4^th June’19

Genre: Romance fiction, Domestic fiction, Historical fantasy

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Pages: 210

My rating: 4/5

Blurb:

In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager.

But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves-and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest.

Now ninety-five years old and telling her story at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life – and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it. At some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time, she muses. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is. Written with a powerful wisdom about human desire and connection, City of Girls is a love story like no other.

“Nothing will uproot your life more violently than true love—at least as far as I’ve always witnessed.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

“Sometimes it’s just true that other people have better ideas for your life than you do.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

Review:

City of girls is the most hilarious and real story I have ever read for a historical fiction. It is in the form of a letter by Ms Vivian Morris (an old lady at the time) who writes to Angela (also an old lady), the story of how she met her father and what her father means to her. (Major How I Met Your Mother vibes but the kid does not belong to the narrator in this case)

I have so much to say that I do not know where to begin. The writing style is an absolute delight. The character of Vivian is so well constructed. You grow with her and fond of her as the story progresses. The story has everything. It has happiness, struggle, success, failures, darkness, deaths and basically all aspects of life but there is one thing that does not miss throughout and that is the humour. I had a blast reading this.

It not only shows us the life of a teenage girl and her relationships and adaptations to a new city but also gives us a look into the life of theater. The story is based in the time after the WWI and continues into the WWII and the aftermath. For a long while, it did not feel like fiction at all. It incorporated the events before, during and after the war down to the dates and I feel like kids these days are really lucky that they get to remember their history lessons through masterpieces like these.

I so badly want to visit New York City after reading the book. I want to go to the places mentioned and feel the nostalgia through the story. I also am a huge fan of Elizabeth Gilbert for her vocabulary. I feel like I’ve learned so many new words and I won’t be lying when I say that I had to go through the dictionary to understand a few of them.

The story has also given us insights into the then lifestyle of New-Yorkers and speaks about all those things that were considered abnormal that are totally normal now – LGBTQ relationships, Independent women, Having a baby out-of-wedlock, Single mothers parenting, Non-violence, Soft-hearted boys.

Overall, this was a very good read and I rate it 4/5 stars.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Starting with the beautiful story, I could see myself in Vivie’s shoes. The mistakes she made, the way she got carried away and finally, the way she stood on her own and took care of herself. She grew from a clumsy teenager to a powerful and strong woman and that was amazing.

City of girls, the play, was a pleasant surprise to be honest. I was not expecting the title to be more than just what it says. I thought it was New York City and the life of the girls that were being introduced to us. I have always been intrigued by theater (not acting, just watching) and having these insights into the making, performing and the aftermath of a play and the life in the theater kept me hooked to the story.

The details into the war were such a good addition. The deaths in the story, though not too disturbing to me, were heart breaking.

Who isn’t obsessed with weddings? I definitely am. And when Vivie and Marjorie start the L’Atelier together, I was not disappointed. That was my favourite part of the entire story.

The ending was so heartwarming! I knew from the moment I heard this random guy calling Vivie “a dirty little whore” on that car ride that he was bound to make a comeback and he did. I loved how Vivie found pure and true love without any expectations with Frank, I was overjoyed. This was so special and precious. I was so happy for the both of them and my eyes were wet all along.

“When women are gathered together with no men around, they don’t have to be anything in particular; they can just be”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

The mammoth of characters that the author created cannot be left untouched.

Vivian Morris:  My beautiful, stupid but smart (because she made mistakes and learned from them) is the most relatable character that I have read since a really long time. I absolutely loved her. I guess love is an understatement as I want to be her and live her life. The way she faces change and embraces everything and keeps moving on is commendable. I love her quirky sense of humour and her beautiful soul. She was a very well written character.

Peg: The cool aunt that has seen it all, Peg owns the Lilly play house and she lives life to the fullest. She has a drinking problem and has a lover that picks up after her. She also has a husband that she has not divorced. She worked as a nurse in the World War I but later decided to entertain people with plays. She is such a mood honestly.

Olive: The back bone of every pivotal character in the novel, she is the reason why people could do what they did and not really bear the repercussions. I love how strong and focused she was.

Majorie: The woman behind the bridal boutique and the material hoarder for Vivie. This was such an amazing duo. While she mainly supported Vivie and lifted up her character. She, deciding on becoming a single mother back then and doing it with sass spoke volumes to me. I loved the little dysfunctional but happy family that they build together.

Uncle Billy: The wicked but clear headed husband of Peg who doesn’t care for anyone but himself is the healthy representation of everyone in this world these days. He is so creative and City of Girls was a masterpiece after all. He knew it even before he wrote it that it would be a hit. I live for that level of confidence. He is also selfish which I guess is his best-worst trait.

Frank: One word that comes to my mind when I say his name is… ‘CUTE’, so cute, so freaking cute! I love the author speaks of PTSD utilizing the war situation. I also love that Frank was naive and he hated that about himself. He paid for what he said one day to a stranger due to an inferiority complex by regretting it his entire life. I love that he loved his daughter so much even though he couldn’t be close to her. I do feel bad for his wife though. I legit cried when Vivie said that they became comfortable enough to hold hands.

Celia: The queen of show girls, Vivie’s first inspiration and a complete rebel who would figure out her way by hook or by crook. Her confidence knew no bounds. She was also reserved but not really, if that makes sense. I am glad she turned out fine. She was a bad influence on Vivie but you need both in your life.

Edna Parker Watson: Probably the one with the strongest will power and an absolute sass queen. The only thing I didn’t like is how she handled the cheating. Celia had to quit her job, Vivie had to go home but her husband got to stay? Why? How? My favourite dialogues of hers are when she warns Vivie after the scandal. She was really well written.

Anthony: I hate him. I hate him so much. He hurt my Vivie. But also, wasn’t he hurt by her too? I had a gut feeling that he was never right for Vivie and guess who was right? ME! That’s right! ME!!!

Walter: If you need an example of all the things a spouse shouldn’t be, it is Walter.

“You must learn in life to take things more lightly, my dear. The world is always changing. Learn how to allow for it.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

“Let us not become so cautious that we forget to live.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

Pros:

1. Good storytelling
2. Will improve your vocabulary
3. LGBTQ +
4. Has strong female characters
5. Very good incorporation of the world wars
6. Insights into the world of theater
7. Creative and hilarious
8. A beautiful love story
9. Will improve your vocabulary
10. Subtly talks about mental issues like PTSD and Inferiority complex

“Not many people know how to be satisfied.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

Cons:

1. A few triggers like war and death
2. May seem boring or stretched out in a few parts

“Lucky is the soul whose only troubles are self-inflicted.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert