Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Telley (ARC)

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Telley
Harlequin Teen, 384 pages
US Release Date: September 30, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept separate but equal.

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.
--------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quotes

I don't know how to tell her I just don't have the energy to keep up with my old friends anymore. That my life isn't big enough to deal with all the awful things and still fit in everything that used to be important to me, too.

&

I don't know what I'm supposed to believe anymore. I want to follow the teachings of the Lord, but I don't know how. It's so complicated. Why would God give me these feelings if they're wrong?

This is probably one of the tougher books I’ve ever had to review, simply because it’s such an important one. I don’t want to really “critique” anything, because the subject matter is so intense and so relevant I don’t want to risk deterring anyone from reading it.

I’m not going to lie, some of this was hard to read. This history is such a hard truth to face, and I’ll admit some of it was hard for me to swallow. But the book does it well, with enough detail to make an impact but not over-the-top for shock value. I’m very glad nothing was horrifically extreme, and am incredibly impressed at the way Telley was able to pull off showing what was real but still reminding the reader there was definitely worse. And not in a guilt-inducing way, but as an element to the story.

One of my concerns was that this story was tackling both racism and sexual orientation—those are two HUGE issues, and can go very wrong, very fast. But I was pleasantly surprised at how seamlessly they blended together and really worked together to make the story. It’s handled well, with equal amount of importance and time given to both. I definitely feel like this was a bold statement that draws on parallels, but…that’s a different conversation.

One of the most interesting parts of this novel was seeing how the parents influenced their kids and the resulting actions and words. It’s definitely a battle of generations, and it was another pleasant surprise to have it portrayed so well. It really added a deeper element of family and nature versus nurture, and was probably one of my favourite parts.

As a story itself, I was fairly impressed with how it all came together. The characters are unique but relatable, and I loved the friendships and family relationships. I don’t think there’s much deviation from a plotline that we could guess, but at the same time, I don’t really think a book like this should. The fight scene towards the end that seemed to be a turning point was perhaps the only thing that really startled me, but it was a good thing in the end.

Lies We Tell Ourselves is such an important book, one to make a reader think and feel and incite action. It’s fairly obvious that I’m a fan of this book, in every way. It’s the perfect way to bring this history and these messages to the YA crowd.

4 stars

Review: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown (ARC)

Born of Illusion (Born of Illusion #1) by Teri Brown
Harper Teen, 384 Pages
Expected US Release Date: June 11, 2013
Format/Source: Print ARC, from Around the World Tours - thank you!

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?
----------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

The audience oohs and ahhs in all the right places and my movements get more dramatic as I warm up. Enthralling the audience is the best part, the part I love. I hate when people call magic trickery. What my mother does is trickery. What I do is entertainment.

I was a little weird going into Born Of Illusion simply because it’s things I know absolutely nothing about. Flapper era New York? Nothing. Magic? Nothing. Illusionism, Houdini? Nada. So I was simultaneously excited and nervous, since I had expectation without any sort of basis to it. But I’m really glad I pushed myself to read this! It was fascinating and a little fun, and even though sometimes it was a little frustrating, I found it fancy and overall, fulfilling.

(Why did I alliterate all those Fs? No idea. But I typed it, and I’m sticking with it!)

Like I said, I know absolutely nothing about this era, so I was really fascinated by it all! I mean, I’ve read a few books (Gatsby, mostly), seen a few movies or TV shows, but nothing concrete, so I loved everything I could garner from the descriptions. I know The Diviners by Libba Bray supposedly does it better, but for now? I’m happy with this. I was so swept up in the parties and gatherings and any sort of Society that Anna would find herself in.  Sometimes I craved a little more variety or dimension to the time, but I was happy with this.

So, onto the actual story (I guess that’s probably important…): Even though I had problems with some of it, overall I really enjoyed Born of Illusion. I really liked how Houdini played a part and we were kept guessing right along with Anna about how much he’s really a part of her. All their interactions were pretty great. I absolutely loved Mr. Darby and wish he’d had a slightly bigger part, though what he did was fantastic anyway. Anytime Anna could go to his place for tea and pastries I cheered in my head. I also loved all the magic and illusionism that went on, and how it even started getting into the séances and spiritual worlds – though I have to admit, I felt they trivialized those parts a little too much by making it a game and pawn in Anna and her mother’s tension. Still, there were some scenes I could absolutely see the show in my head and I wanted to be a part of the crowd!

Speaking of her mom, oh my goodness I did not like her! I get the resentment there, I even can kind of understand how much she feels threatened by Anna and her talents – but sometimes it was just a bit too far, y’know? I wanted to her just love her daughter for what she was, not hate her for it.

Which leads into some of my problems. Sometimes the tension was just a little too much, a little too drawn out and overdramatic. Sure, it does actually kind of fit the era and overall showman feel of the novel, but there were definitely pages I just shook my head at or rolled my eyes. I didn’t need the constant reminder of the struggle and bad relationships. Plus, I think my general annoyance at that took me away from the story a bit and I didn’t end up connecting to any of them. Sure, there were characters I generally liked, but I never really felt real emotions toward them or wanted to jump into the pages to squeeze them or kick them. Each was written well with real personalities, but they still felt a little lackluster.

And of course, I have to talk about the boys. It was another sorta-triangle situation – and I only say sorta because I swear it is super obvious which one will end up being the good boy and who will be bad. I did like that they were more to the story than just love interests, and I definitely rooted for one over the other. But one is so obvious, and the other was a bit too stereotypical. Still, I’ve read worse, and I wouldn’t mind a little Colin myself.

Born of Illusion wasn’t quite as magical as I’d hoped it would be, but I definitely found parts to love. I want more of this era, I want more of this type of illusion and trickery – though maybe with a different cast of characters.

(Small note though: I still love the cover to pieces. So gorgeous!)

3.5 Stars

Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore (ARC)

Gilt (The Royal Circle #1) by Katherine Longshore
Viking Juvenile, 398 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 8, 2012
Format: ARC
Source: Won/Gifted, from James @ BookChicClub (thank you so much James!)

In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.
---------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

We're decidedly average. It's what we do with it that counts. We have to be clever. Make yourself vital to someone's happiness, and suddenly you're the most beautiful creature in the world, and he will fall madly in love with you.

WOW. Just absolutely WOW with this book. It's gripping and passionate and breathtaking all rolled into one.

I'm going to be the first to say that while I absolutely love historical fiction, I don't read it often and I know next to nothing about history. Sure, I went through all the prerequisite courses and even was on the Honors/AP track, but I'm not afraid to admit that almost none of that stuck with me. Something about facts and boring textbooks just wipes it from memory after I'm done with the final exam.

So apparently if they'd masked history within a YA novel and a bit of romance, I would be IN.

I think I was most impressed with the storytelling in Gilt. Katherine Longshore's writing is so smooth and flowing that it just picks you up effortlessly and you barely even notice just how much is going on and all the intricacies that are around you. I got caught up in the Court and all the shininess, and it wasn't even real!  As a journalist who is incredibly picky about the 'show don't tell' aspects of writing, this passed with flying colors.

Because I couldn't remember a lot of the history, I was absolutely kept on my toes about the fate of Catherine Howard and Kitty Tylney. I knew King Henry VIII had wives, I knew several of them were sentenced to deaths - but nothing really concrete, nor for sure. So while I was reading, I was completely swept away with the characters and the story, wondering what was going to happen when all the secrets and deceits and lies finally reached their inevitable breaking point.  If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen my updates; I felt like I was getting called to court, like I was the one going down the dark hallway to open the door, like I was the one on trial.

A word that I absolutely cannot stand seeing in reviews is "sexy" - just because it's such an evocative word with some pretty solid imagery. And while I will remain steadfast that I won't call Gilt "sexy", this is probably the closest I've ever come to it. I think I'll go more for scandalous and secretive...and sometimes maybe even a bit steamy. Not overtly or obnoxiously so - in just the right amounts to make you want more.

I have to commend Katherine Longshore in her ability to keep the entire story straight, too! There were so many secrets, characters, little lies and deceptions going on that there were definitely times I had to look up and try to sort through my head what was going on with who and when. Court is a complex life, and that definitely came through in the novel.

I haven't really talked about the characters, which might be the only downfall to this novel -- but that's just because everything else was so stellar. A lot of them felt a bit one dimensional, and I failed to connect. I felt things for and towards them, of course: I wanted to hug Kitty (and on occasion tell her to grow a backbone), I wished desperately for William Gibbon to give her another chance, I wanted to puke at the mere mentions of Culpepper...but I still felt like each person was begging for a bit more dimension.

Lastly, raise your hand if you wanted to punch Cat? Because that selfish whore kinda deserved what she got, in my opinion.

If you're looking for a thrill, pick up Gilt - it won't disappoint.

4.5 Stars / 5