Some shorter musings on recent YA reads.
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway
While recently browsing the shelves at the library, I came across this and realized it was the only book by Robin Benway I had not read so I checked it out. I don't know why I had never read it as we all know how I feel about sibling stories. April, May, and June are sisters born 13 months apart. Their parents are recently divorced and they've just moved. Each experiences a heightened "sense". April cans see flashes of the future. May can turn invisible. June can read thoughts. The sisters try to navigate their new life and the problems their powers bring them while not letting any of it tear them apart. I enjoyed this but think it would have been better without the fantastical powers. I know that probably sounds like nonsense since that means the entire plot would have to change and it would be an entirely different book. But I loved the sisterly bond and I loved all of the characters. The banter is fantastic. The boys are awesome. (I fully approve of the Stephenson sisters taste in boys.) The concept didn't fully work for me. It was an enjoyable afternoon's read however.
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
This is one of those situations where not reading the synopsis in advance was not good for my reading experience. I honestly wouldn't have picked it up if I had, because the personification of ideas like love and death NEVER works well for me. It is a credit to Brockenbrough's writing skills that I kept reading once I knew exactly what I was reading. I liked both Flora and Henry as characters and might have loved this book if it was straight up historical fiction without the characters of Love and Death. The end rather ruined things for me overall, but that's tied into the conceit of the book, which as I've said is not my thing. How the reveals and resolution played out just left me dissatisfied.
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway
While recently browsing the shelves at the library, I came across this and realized it was the only book by Robin Benway I had not read so I checked it out. I don't know why I had never read it as we all know how I feel about sibling stories. April, May, and June are sisters born 13 months apart. Their parents are recently divorced and they've just moved. Each experiences a heightened "sense". April cans see flashes of the future. May can turn invisible. June can read thoughts. The sisters try to navigate their new life and the problems their powers bring them while not letting any of it tear them apart. I enjoyed this but think it would have been better without the fantastical powers. I know that probably sounds like nonsense since that means the entire plot would have to change and it would be an entirely different book. But I loved the sisterly bond and I loved all of the characters. The banter is fantastic. The boys are awesome. (I fully approve of the Stephenson sisters taste in boys.) The concept didn't fully work for me. It was an enjoyable afternoon's read however.
The Game of Love and Death by Martha BrockenbroughThis is one of those situations where not reading the synopsis in advance was not good for my reading experience. I honestly wouldn't have picked it up if I had, because the personification of ideas like love and death NEVER works well for me. It is a credit to Brockenbrough's writing skills that I kept reading once I knew exactly what I was reading. I liked both Flora and Henry as characters and might have loved this book if it was straight up historical fiction without the characters of Love and Death. The end rather ruined things for me overall, but that's tied into the conceit of the book, which as I've said is not my thing. How the reveals and resolution played out just left me dissatisfied.
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
This is a cute predictable contemporary YA romance keeping to West's usual style but lacking a certain something I found in her earlier books. I couldn't connect with the characters well at all. They were incredibly standard. Like I said, it's all very predictable. I also thought it was longer than it needed to be given its predictability. I did like Lily's siblings a lot. It is nice to have another Kasie West book for recommendations though. The teens I work with mostly like their books to not have sex, drinking, or swearing and West can be counted on to deliver for those teens.
Comments
YEP ME TOO.