The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
One of the most disturbing and intense books I have ever read.
Read: March 21st 2017
4/5 stars
Hollow Pike by James Dawson
DNF
I would’t say this is a bad book, per se, but it is a bad book for me. I was intrigued by the setting (Yorkshire Dales!) and the potential for witchcraft and black magic but it read much too young for me to enjoy it; the overwhelming ‘teen speak’, use of ‘like’, and cliquey social groups were just too much for me. The characters and plot felt underdeveloped from the beginning and I hated the bitchy high school vibe immediately. This is another example of a novel being unable to transcend it’s genre and age group – it feels very much like a story for teenagers, and although there’s nothing wrong with that it’s not for me.
Read: April 3rd 2017
2/5 stars
Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook
Received from NetGalley for review.
I seem to be very much in the minority here, but I didn’t find this collection particularly moving. Normally I love this style of poetry, and I did enjoy the use of a mix-tape format with songs at the end of each poem, but the writing itself didn’t really do anything for me. I wasn’t overly moved but I wasn’t left completely without feeling, mostly they were just words on a page to me.
I have to applaud Alicia Cook, however, for crafting this collection and pouring her heart and soul into it. Although it’s not for me, I can practically feel the emotions of the writer pouring off the page, and I think anyone who reveals themselves like this deserves a medal. I think it takes a tremendous amount of courage to reveal yourself so thoroughly in print, so that in itself is something to marvel at.
Read: April 7th 2017
2/5 stars
Magic, Ink, and Stardust 