Review: Wearing Paper Dresses

Wearing Paper Dresses by Anne Brinsden
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Just gonna pat myself on the back for finishing this one because it was a FKN DRAINER.

Please note: I see a lot of merit in this book. I can see people absolutely falling in love with it and raving non-stop. So please consider how different everyone's tastes are while you read the forthcoming rant on how much this book bored me to tears.

So. Here we go.

The blurb: City girl Elise marries country boy Bill and they end up moving back to (The) Mallee to help with Pa on the family farm. Elise struggles in this unfamiliar world and it leads to her neglecting her daughters, Ruby and Marjorie. Then, tragedy. Marjorie runs away, but then 'the boy she loves draws her back to the land she can't forget ...'

Now let me burst your bubble right here and now and let you know that 'tragedy' doesn't strike until bloody 240 pages into this novel, meaning I had to wade through 65% of the book's monotony and repetition before that even happened. NOTHING UPSETS ME MORE THAN WHEN THE BLURB IS ACTUALLY THE ENTIRE STORY OUTLINE. This is not about Marjorie having a rough childhood, then escaping it, then being inexplicably drawn back. This is about crazy old Elise and how her batsh*t insane antics create a problematic childhood for Marjorie and her sister.

Literally over 250 pages of how crazy Elise is, and how Marjorie rebels, and how the fkn Mallee is a thing that is unforgiving and blah, blah, blah. EVERYTHING in this book is humanised and it got real old real fast (See my reading update that includes the quote about the table). These are the judgiest mother fkn objects I've ever encountered in my LIFE. Curtains, doors, stove tops, tables, kettles ... EVERYTHING has a bloody opinion. THANKS BUT NO THANKS. I didn't come here to listen to the opinions of a freaking tea cosy.

Elise is completely off her rocker, and that's the heart of this story. This will be why so many will love it, but also why I found it so frustratingly dull. Because her descent into madness is detailed minutely, and it is so very gradual. This is a really important consideration of mental illness, and how debilitating it can be, and how it can impact the lives of others, which is great and all but I just didn't have time for it. I'm a pretty clever girl, so I don't need the message pounded into me for 250-odd pages. I GET IT. And the writing style, while clever and unique, did absolutely nothing for me, so I found it rubbing me raw where others will likely marvel and appreciate slowly. I AM NOT GOOD AT SLOW.

The character exploration is of course brilliant. The depths this book delves into these lives is thorough and believable and this is a pretty accurate gathering of country bumpkins. Pa is such a stereotype, I LOVE IT. The cursing in this book is so entertaining - everyone familiar with Alf from Home and Away? There's not a single regular swear word in here, but it's a big feature of the story. Let's put it this way: if Elise from this book were to read this review of mine, I'd be in a big bloody pile of steaming cow manure. This is a very real portrayal of people living in a town that has its own mood swings, and of how not fitting in in such a small society can waste away one's spirit. I may have been bored to tears by the way it was told, but it is a pretty brutal, real story.

So here's my summary:
-The writing style did nothing for me but it's clever and unique so likely to please those who enjoy slowly digesting words
-The characters are brilliantly explored, so this is a perfect read for those who would like to experience true blue, fair dinkum Aussie characters in a typical Aussie country town setting
-The story is an important one about the progression of mental illness and how it manifests physically, but is far too long and tedious for those who like a fair pace with their stories
-The blurb is entirely misleading, and will make you believe more will happen in the book than what actually does

Not my cup of coffee in the slightest, but definitely one for lovers of Australian fiction who enjoy the slow appreciation of words and ideas. This book is one that will definitely transport you to The Mallee - I was just keen to get back home.

With thanks to Macmillan for a copy to read and review.

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Review: A Little Bit of Shamanism: An Introduction to Shamanic Journeying

A Little Bit of Shamanism: An Introduction to Shamanic Journeying by Ana Campos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

LOVE THIS.

My favourite thing about this book is that it takes a spiritual concept and grounds it with science and psychology. It's about the power of the mind, and the power of the earth, but there are real truths ingrained for people not willing to believe wholeheartedly in a concept that might be purely based on ideas.

I've of course heard of Shamanism, and understand it's linked to specific cultures and related to earth and ancestors, but this gave me a much stronger understanding of how it works. Spoiler alert: you don't have to take mind-altering substances to partake in a Shamanic ceremony (though it may help, I suppose). I really enjoyed learning about the basic concepts, and it just makes so much sense to me. It's a kind of meditation that sees you appreciating the earth and those who have walked it before us, and respecting the earth and leaving it better for those who will walk it after us.

It's written sensibly and honestly, and it doesn't rely on you believing blindly. It's logical. It's rooted in honour.

A fascinating read, and just the beginning of my knowledge quest on this particular subject. I loved it so much I'll be looking further into this topic.

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Review: Red Queen

Red Queen by Christina Henry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not quite as gripping as the first book, but an entertaining read all the same.

I really enjoy the way it's written like a child's story but is full of blood and violence and monsters and death. The whole way through Alice is such a breath of fresh air - she's the same, no-nonsense girl we know from her first creation by Lewis Carroll, but this time she's getting frustrated with goblins and giants and evil, spiteful queens. Honestly, the bother of it all.

The quest here is a little more vague, as Alice does indeed observe herself. In the first story, Alice and Hatcher are on a quest to find the Rabbit and stop the Jabberwocky. Now, they've a vague notion of looking for Jenny, but where could she possibly be? And why is everything around them burnt to a crisp? Also, what's up with all the delicious, unattended food? (view spoiler)[Side note: I would 100% be dishonest giant chow. This book made me so hungry. (hide spoiler)]

Took a little bit longer for me to get into the story, and the lack of chapters was a little disturbing. At the start I think it was a bit of a flaw - I couldn't convince myself to just keep reading til the end of the chapter, so I just put it down at random places - but eventually it became a solid, uninterrupted story that flowed really neatly.

The first was a lot of fun with all the recognisable characters, so this one was a bit pale in comparison there but I did really like Pen and the nasty little goblin. (Anyone else get Rumpelstiltskin vibes, btw?) There's also a few nods to other fairy tales which always makes for a bit of fun.

Overall it was another quick read, and while it wasn't quite as chaotic and bloody and dark entertaining as the first book I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Review: The Chain

The Chain by Adrian McKinty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an exciting, unique, fast-paced ride this was!

Parents, prepare to have your hearts tested.

The Lowdown: Kylie has been kidnapped, and the only way Rachel can get her back is if she kidnaps someone else's kid. And then that someone kidnaps someone else's kid. Etc. Yikes.

This is dark stuff. This is a story about a mama bear who got poked and is now rampaging through 350-odd pages doing whatever it takes to get her cub back. I approve. I mean, not so much the kidnapping, or the threats of violence, or the actual violence ... I mean that's kind of the point though, isn't it? To witness someone doing this atrocious stuff and to think, I totally get it. You go, girl.

Strap in for a wild, immoral ride where you'll constantly be asking yourself: How far would I go to protect someone I love?

Super clever writing, here. This is well thought out and brilliantly edited so that it is concise, fast-paced and contains everything you need to keep you hanging on while leaking the vital info that will have you figuring things out at exactly the intended pace. I LOVED IT.

The premise is unlike anything I've read before but the depth of character is what makes it truly successful. You're there sharing the anxiety with Rachel, and with Pete, who's trying to do the right thing but also has his own issues getting in his way. It's gut-wrenching to feel on their behalves and the connection to them is vital to making this story work.

I'm not a parent but my maternal instinct still had me rooting for Rachel and yes, supporting her in her criminal activity. It made me feel both protective of my non-existent children AND like a terrible human being. Nice. So good luck to those of you who are parents and have to experience this novel with your own child/ren in mind and the extent you'll go to for them.

'It's all for family, isn't it? Everything is for family. Even an imbecile knows you don't get between a grizzly-bear mama and her cub.' *

*I won an uncorrected proof copy and, as such, direct quote may differ.

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Review: Snake Island

Snake Island by Ben Hobson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm going to try and keep this brief because I just started a week of annual leave and I have a lot of books waiting patiently for my attention!

I'm still not sure how I feel about this one, to be honest. It was an easy enough read, sure, but towards the end I was over it a little bit, and that led to a little skimming. There is a LOT of guilt in this book and there's only so much of people feeling sorry for themselves that I can put up with.

Plot: Caleb Moore is in prison after beating the snot out of his wife. His parents, Vernon and Penelope, don't want anything to do with him, but then they discover he's copping beatings himself from Brendan Cahill, and it begins a chain reaction of sordid activity from a bunch of cowards and a-holes in a small Aussie town.

It's an intriguing story, but these characters are all pretty easy to despise. Let me break it down:
Caleb: Wife beater
Vernon: Solves problems with threats
Sharon: No backbone
The entire Cahill family: Drug-dealing losers who solve all problems with violence
Rev. Kelly: Preacher of the worst kind of preaching

I despised them all, basically, which does not make for a good time.

I did, however, enjoy that contemplation of family relationship vs my-son-is-a-scumbag. I mean, I kinda hate it a little bit that we're supposed to feel sorry for a guy who pummelled his wife, but I do think it's important to show that parents should support their kids no matter what, even if they don't approve of the behaviour.

Sidebar: I remember asking my mum once when I was a teenager if she would stick by me if I murdered someone (I was a dark kid, I guess). And I'm pretty sure she was a bit conflicted over me asking such a morbid question (sorry mum) but she answered that I would never do that, and if I did I'd have had a pretty good reason. And she hoped that I would never murder anyone but whatever wrong choices I made I was her daughter and she would love me no matter what. (Just to clarify: I have never murdered anyone, nor do I intend to. I'm a very nice person. Please don't be afraid.)

So yeah, I think it was pretty interesting for me to feel the conflict between hating this wife-beater but also supporting his parents in wanting to protect him. Such a fascinating dynamic.

Of course, once that was kind of discussed, we were left with the rest of the sordid activities and violence and basically everyone solving things with their fists and guns and rolling over and letting themselves be manipulated. This was not a fun time.

There are a lot of moral grey areas here and conflicting ideas, wondering what you'd do in a similar situation, but overall I just got so sick of reading about these people who brought their troubles on themselves. It made me sad.

Also, hated the writing style. Short sentences. Poorly formatted. Incomplete. Ideas not properly explained. Can't even demonstrate properly with this sentence. Too terrible. Beyond my skill. Choppy. Lazy. PLEASE JUST USE COMPLETE SENTENCES AND IDEAS. I need that sweet, sweet flow of language.

All in all, some great ideas to contemplate, horrible characters and writing you will either love or hate. I didn't hate it, but it's not one I'll be raving about any time soon.

With thanks to A&U for an uncorrected proof copy to read and review.

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Review: Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is it wrong for me to so thoroughly enjoy people being eaten by dinosaurs? I mean, this book had a lot going for it, but that's the main highlight, and it's SO SATISFYING. My face was doing all kinds of weird things while I read.

I'm sure most people reading this will have seen the movie. I found that it really helped me to picture the dinosaurs (and surrounds) and that made it that fraction more terrifying because when you can really visualise what's happening it's much more horrible. I think, though, as in most cases, the book is better here, because there's so much more discussion about the lives of these animals, and the implications of bringing them to life. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed Malcolm's rambling. He makes some valid points, that dude.

As for Lex ... *sigh* Little, bratty Lex. What can I say? I kind of wished she'd been T-Rex chow. Ah well. You win some, you lose some. *shrugs* Timmy, on the other hand, is a true hero-in-the-making. Grant and Ellie were pretty cool, but nothing special in the hero department. The dinosaurs were the real heroes of this story, and I was totally okay with that.

Overall, it was just such a fantastically thrilling read, with some surprising 'think deep' moments. Psyched to get my hands on the sequel!

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Review: Five Dark Fates

Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well this sure was full of some dark twists and turns!!

The fourth and final book and can I just address the fact that this is called FIVE Dark Fates when
a) we haven't had FOUR anything yet
b) there are three queens - four if you count Jules - so whose fates are we talking about?

Also YES I have read this book and still have no idea which five fates this book is referring to. But YES there are some dark ones. Yikes.

WARNING: This review contains uncensored spoilers for the previous three books in the series.

SO!

Look, I can't remember my feelings towards Jules way back in book one but MY GOD SHE'S ANNOYING. Where did she even come from? Why is she even part of this story as anything more than Arsinoe's sidekick? And don't even get me started on Emilia. I got NO TIME for these whiny, 'I am super important' ladies right now. Go arm wrestle or something.

I think it hurt most because Arsinoe is such a sass queen but these two girls reduce her to an eager-to-please shell. She's so much more interesting when she's just doing whatever the heck she wants and pretending she has zero feelings for Billy who is obviously the love of all of our lives. Bless you, Junior.

Mira has been a fave from the start and while she's still pretty badass, she's gone a bit more, 'I love my sisters no matter what' and it's all a little too high-road for me. Where is the back stabbing and the fire and storms and general mayhem? *sigh* Tell you what, though ... (view spoiler)[I definitely did NOT see that particular fate coming! :O (hide spoiler)]

QUEEN KATHERINE THE UNDEAD IS A SAVAGE. Again, not quite as villainous as I wanted but she's so creepy and dark and I just have the greatest fun picturing her as this pale, nasty, venomous QUEEN. I still don't get her love for P-Diddy though?? Girl, he pushed you down a chasm. Why you still like him? Poisoners, man. *shakes head*

All in all it felt a little slow and underwhelming - not quite the grand finale I was hoping for - but it still had some fantastic dark moments unexpected thrills and chills. Everything felt pretty neatly tied up, and I am content with this ending.

I still want more, though.

Spin off, please? :D


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Challenge Check-In

Not gonna lie, reading challenges are HARD.

The actual reading part, not so much, but reading specific books when I keep acquiring so many amazing new ones? Man there is just not enough time to read them all.

So naturally I've fallen a few weeks behind on my #Dymocks52Challenge refined.

Here are the books on The List that I still have to read:

1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (AA)
4. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
7. The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan (AA)
10. The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
11. The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty (AA)
12. The Martian - Andy Weir
16. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
19. Reckoning - Magda Szubanski (AA)
22. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
24. Wool - Hugh Howey
32. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart - Holly Ringland (AA)
34. A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness

So that's 12 books to go, and only 8 weeks left of the year. Not a worry if I focus exclusively on these titles, but I have some seriously exciting stuff waiting to be read!

Here's the top ten vying for my attention:

1. The Red Sphinx - Alexandre Dumas

I started reading this one back in April and have severely neglected it! It's an 800-page monster meaning its not one I can carry around in my bag, so it's been constantly shunted aside for smaller books. Considering it's an unofficial sequel to my favourite book of all time, I really need to make a solid effort to finish this before the year is up.

2. Five Dark Fates - Kendare Blake

This is the fourth and final book in the Three Dark Crowns series and I'm a little obsessed. It's dark and full of magic and poison and characters that do horrible things. My kind of fantasy. I'm hoping for a pretty epic showdown to end things!

3. Salvation Lost - Peter F Hamilton

I read Salvation a little while ago and it was incredible so very much looking forward to reading this newly released sequel. Not usually a sci-fi gal but this one has me hooked.

4. The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale

Who would I be without my motivational books? This one comes highly recommended so I've been meaning to read it for a while, and I'm really hoping to get to it before the year is up.

5. The Chain - Adrian McKinty

I actually won this a while back and feel bad for neglecting it for so long! It sounds like it's going to be a fantastic thriller and I imagine it'll be something I read in minimal sittings.

6. Midnight in the Graveyard - Anthology

I started reading this with fellow horror-lovers in a Goodreads group and it is chock-a-block full of spine-tingling goodness. It's actually the first time I've ever purchased an e-book (since I read e-books so rarely I usually just stick to freebies). I've been lucky enough to be part of group discussion with 25 authors and it's absolutely fascinating to hear more insight into these little gems as I read them. 

7. Snake Island - Ben Hobson

An Aussie crime novel I'm expecting big things from. This one has been talked about since it released so I'm keen to join the discussions on this one.

8. Godsgrave - Jay Kristoff

I read Nevernight earlier this year and rushed out to buy this sequel the day after I finished it. Yet it's been neglected in favour of challenge reads and ARCs. I need to find out the truth about what happened to Don Tric! So let's all cross our fingers this one makes it into the last eight weeks of the year, too.

9. Weapon - Lynette Noni

Speaking of sequels I've been dying for, this one is just waiting to happen. High chance it'll be overlooked for a few months, though, since I'll need to re-read the first book so I can remember what happened. The down side to reading fresh series books is that painful wait between installations.

10. Deeplight - Frances Hardinge

This one promises gods and monsters and the media release considers it a cross between Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and Frankenstein so guess who is already expecting big things? Love me some monsters. 

***

I've been so lucky this year with book wins and publishers spoiling me with ARCs of some of the most incredible books. I intended to read less so that I could be more productive outside of my book lover life but it's absolutely impossible with so many fantastic books being put out into the world! I'd love to get back on track with my challenge, of course, but I'm easing a little of the pressure because reading is supposed to be fun. So I'll get through those 12 books eventually, but it might take me a little longer than I anticipated.

The beauty of it is that I'll have a better understanding of my reading habits when I do it all over again next year. XD

Review: All Eyes on Us

All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A little light on the drama I was hoping for, but an okay read I suppose.

Amanda was perfectly nasty to start with but Rosalie was dealing with real trauma and I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't ready for it. I was totally expecting some petty teenage drama with a side of rich-people problems. NOT THE CASE.

Here's the deal: Amanda is the typical mean queen B and Carter is her arm candy. He's the typical, 'most popular guy in the school' and he and Amanda are destined to get married, be rich and do lots of important rich-people things together. Only Carter is cheating on Amanda with Rosalie, who in turn is only using Carter to pretend that the conversion therapy she was forced to undergo really worked. (Don't tell anyone she has a secret girlfriend.) But someone knows their secrets and is now threatening them with anonymous texts Pretty Little Liars-style.

So let's start with the princess herself, Amanda:
- Shallow
- Cares more about appearances than feelings
- Secretly just wants her mum to love her
- Doesn't care about Carter's cheating, as long as he stays with her
- Spiteful on the surface but crumbling from the pressure of being perfect

Then we have meek lil Rosalie:
- Is a lesbian
- Is part of a family and religious group who believes this to be a 'sinful choice' that must essentially be tortured out of her
- Is deeply traumatised by the 'conversion therapy' she had to undergo
- Is actually a fkn BADASS despite it all
- But kind of a dick for using Carter without him knowing the truth

And our golden boy himself Carter:
- Cheating douchebag
- Nice to everyone on the surface
- Suffering from the pressure of keeping up appearances
- Secretly devoted to fun-girl (?) Rosalie
- Still a cheating douchebag

There are THEMES here, too, that go deeper than the nasty teen drama I wanted to revel in. Let me spoiler tag them just in case:

(view spoiler)[
-Alcoholism
-Religion vs sexuality
-Emotional abuse
-Stalking
(hide spoiler)]

But let me talk about the big one, and that is Rosalie's horrible, horrible situation.

I find it so tragically sad that there are people in this world who truly believe that someone's inherent nature can be so wrong it justifies torture. And Rosalie isn't just dealing with persecution from the general public, or even the close-knit religious community she's part of - her own parents are so afraid of her being attracted to the same gender that they think it's okay to have her tortured. And that's exactly what conversion therapy is. TORTURE. Inflicting harm on another human being until they do what you want them to do. It just makes me so sick to think people actually do this. The bond between a parent and child should be sacred and full of unconditional love and instead I have to read about Rosalie being mistreated by her own family. It hurt my heart so much.

I picked this up for a light, trashy read and then that. So let me just take a moment to say to all the people reading this review who feel like they are unloved because of characteristics of who they are: YOU DESERVE TO BE LOVED NO MATTER WHAT AND DON'T LET ANYONE EVER TELL YOU OTHERWISE.

Okay so now moving on.

The text from 'Private Number' were so sad and pathetic. Like, please watch a few seasons of Pretty Little Liars and learn how to threaten someone properly. Also prank them properly. This was far too light on with the threats.

Then the side cast of characters didn't get a huge amount of screen time so it all fell a little flat. I wanted more people with secrets and behind-the-back whispering and fights and rumours and just MORE. Alas, this was all pretty tame.

Altogether it was like a bland, washed out attempt at copying PLL. It wasn't quite clever enough, or twisted enough, or deep enough. This needed to contain either more savagery or deeper people to really suck me in. Rosalie's situation made for an interesting angle but overall it wasn't really enough to save the premise of the story.

Still, a quick enough read to keep you entertained for a day or two.

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Review: Alice

Alice by Christina Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a crazy fun ride this was!

It's a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, although it's not particularly close in happenings to the original which means it stays rather unpredictable. It's also dark and bloody and is definitely NOT a children's story.

Plot: Alice is in a hospital for those who are a little mad, though she can't remember much more than the man with the long white ears that haunts her nightmares. She's been there a while, now, with only the axe-murderer next door for company. Then one night she escapes, though hot on her heels is a monster of darkness and evil that only Alice can stop.

It was so dark and I loved that. There is a lot of blood and bodies and murder and filth. There is depravity and torture and all kinds of nasty stuff and looming over it all is the threat of this monster that exists seemingly just to destroy.

It wasn't particularly scary - more gruesome than anything - but there's a real gritty story to follow, though it's fun, too, because it involves magic and monsters and a bunch of characters we're already familiar with, though they've been reinterpreted. (I am a big fan of Cheshire.)

The writing was pretty simplistic which was fine with me because I was much more interested in the story anyway. It sort of has deep themes that are brushed over lightly with a few sentences rather than brooding on them. This might have some people underwhelmed but I much preferred it because it meant we could get on with the action. And the body count.

I thought the 're-telling' aspect was quite clever because it still managed a rather unique, unpredictable story that had you wondering where the familiar faces might show up. I rather enjoyed that. I appreciated that last line, too.

Would recommend for people who enjoy darker stories, and not so much for those who like pretty words and fanciful language. Fans of Alice in Wonderland shouldn't expect too much similarity, and those unfamiliar with the story won't be harmed by not knowing it.

I'll definitely be reading the next one.

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