I used to read dystopian all the time. For a good stretch of time it was all I read, really. Then I just couldn't anymore, maybe the world I was seeing outside my window was too close to what I was reading in books, or maybe my own mental state just wasn't in the right place anymore, either way I strayed away for awhile and have been struggling to find the right book to pull me back in to the beauty that is dystopia. If you are looking for a good dystopia too, Fragile Remedy is the perfect book to pull you back in. As always I heard about thsi one on Twitter (I live there, book twitter has been good to me) and once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora Release Date: March 9, 2021 Goodreads Link Author Website Why I love this book: As noted above- it's everything a good dystopian should be. It's a world that is at once so familiar, and still so foreign that you have to stop and think about how they got there from here and how easy it would be to slip down that path. For every "that could never happen" there is that moment of "unless..." which is what makes dystopian books so compelling. Mora creates this world so quickly and deftly that you are immediately immersed, there is no confusion about this world and where our characters fit in. And the characters are something to behold. Nate is our maind focus, he is a GEM (genetically engineered medi-tissue) - he was built quite literally to be used and abused and to keep the elite alive. He is nothing to those in power, but everything to the people who love him. He is smuggled out as a child and falls in with a street gang led by Reed. They don't know what he is, or that without the medicine that keeps him well that he will die, sooner rather then later. This leads to the main reason I love this book. We get to see Nate go through the whole spectrum of emotions as he tries to figure out what to do. He loves Reed, but isn't sure he can trust him with this secret, he isn't sure if letting Reed in would put Reed at risk. He has to decide who to trust and who to stand up to and above all he has to decide what he is willing to risk. The Nate and Reed relationship is perfect, and everyone can relate to that feeling of "what would I risk for this person?" The rest of the cast of characters are a great balance of people just trying to find their way in a world that isn't kind to them, to find a family that they can rely on, and to rise to the occassion when the moment presents itself. I'm hoping there will be more to this series. I love where the story ended, but there is so much more I would love to see. This world and these characters are still calling my name and I can't wait to see what Maria Ingrande Mora does next.
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Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas Release Date: March 23, 2021 Goodreads Link Author Website Why I LOVE this book: I review books on TikTok, and usually it's a struggle for me to contain myself to just 60 seconds. This book turned that all on it's head. I was at a complete loss for words. This book is that good. Every time I tried to start I would just fumble , I didn't know where to start. This book punched me in the gut in a way that I didn't expect. We all know the story of Peter Pan and Wendy, we remember what it was like to believe in the magic of Neverland, and we can all relate to growing up and losing touch with the kid we used to be. This book makes you feel all that in such a visceral way. Picking up years after Wendy returns from Neverland, Lost in the Never Woods finds Wendy dealing with the traumatic loss of her brothers... and her memory. She can't remember what happened while she was gone, only that the stories of Peter Pan bring her some comfort. She goes through her days the best she can, sharing stories with the kids at the hospital she volunteers at. Suddenly her world shifts when Peter arrives back on the scene and needs Wendy's help. Suddenly magic is real again and Wendy starts to remember her time in Neverland. Thomas deftly weaves together fantasy and mystery all the while tugging at our hearts as we hope that Peter and Wendy can find each other again and bring answers to a twon that has been rocked by tragedy. This is one of those books that I already know I will come back to over and over again. Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas Release Date: September 1, 2020 Goodreads Link Why I LOVE this book: This book took me totally by surprise. I settled in to read this one and immediately was deeply attached to Yadriel and his desire to prove himself as a real Brujo. Thomas quickly tells us everything we need to know about Yadriel... he is a bit of a black sheep in his family, he misses his mother, and with the help of some amazing friends (like his cousin Maritza), he is dead set on proving he belongs. That alone would be enough to have me hooked, but then Thomas adds in Julian, resident bad boy and newest ghost in the cemetary and I was a goner. Yadriel and Julian are the perfect balance for each other, both needed the other to help them get what they want. On the way to proving Yadriel's skills to his family, and solving the mystery of Julian's death, the boys find themselves needing each other in ways they couldn't have predicted. Suddenly it isn't as simple, because completing their task could mean losing each other forever. This book weaves together so many different genres that I'm not sure I could adequately list them all. There's murder, mystery, romance, humor, the supernatural and a quick deep dive into Brujx culture. Thomas covers a lot of ground in this book, but does so in a way that never feels rushed or muddled. My big hope here is that we haven't seen the last of Yadriel, Julian and Maritza. |
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Home of the ramblings of an avid reader. In my spare time I also run, ride, teach, go on adventures and get into shenanigans. Find me here: Goodreads Etsy TikTok Categories
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