MulticulturalJunkie

Actual Rating: 3.25

 

Review can also be seen here:

 

http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.html

 

I recently bought this book due to my interest in reading contemporary stories featuring Muslim main characters, particularly women and teenagers. I am not Muslim myself, and don't see myself converting to the Islam faith, but I love reading about characters with different faiths and lifestyles. To be honest, I don't see many differences from faith to faith, so why not diversify my reading with characters who are faiths that are not my own(FYI, for now Im Agnostic, but I feel as though faith may guide me towards Buddhism).

 

Now, Ten Things I Hate About Me? Hmmm....This book was just alright. It centered around an Australian born 15 year old named Jamilah Towfeek. Her parents were originally from Lebanon, and are Muslim. Apparently Australia hasn't quite got the memo when it comes to diversity, so anything outside of being Anglo-Saxon Australian was considered un-Australian. Since Jamie lived her school life as "Jamie" and dyed her hair blonde, and wore blue colored contacts, she gave no reason for her fellow Anglo-Saxon classmates to judge her in the same ways they judged the students who were "ethnics."

A lot of this book made me uncomfortable. It's well written, and depicts a teenager as accurate as I remember being one, but the racism is quite ugly, and it's sad that the youth is brought up with such hate, even now. Explaining what I liked and wasn't sure about would be much easier.

 

What I liked:

 

I felt as though the pacing is good, short books tend to be better at pacing than longer ones. It didn't reveal information too soon or too late, so that was a thumbs up. I suppose it's consistent. Jamilah doesn't really steer far from being the kind of girl she is. The backstory is well thought out, and not too much is revealed too soon and the story doesn't take too much time dwelling on backstory.

 

There's plenty of conflict. Jamilah is someone who deals with racism indirectly, as her classmates know nothing about her heritage. It's kind of sad, but she would rather sit and take abuse, than be true to herself. She also is in a constant battle with her father. He does not approve of her doing certain things. To me he's the standout character. I loved Hakim. He was a grieving widower having to pick up the where his wife left off in raising his children. Jamie often thought he was being strict, but what good parent isn't a little overprotective? Too much of Western culture is centered on sex, drugs, and alcohol, I dont think it's asking too much to want to shield your children from negativity. Let's face it, kids are doing it, but I don't think it's wrong of a parent for wanting the best for their children.

 

I do think the book is unique, or at least to me. I don't read a lot of books centered on Muslim teenage girls. Especially from Australia.

 

I don't find there to be many issues toward the language, but I'm American, so anything I read Im going to assume to be difference in dialect or lack of knowledge or cultural awareness. Jamilah's in a band at her madrasa class(Arabic class) and her bandmates are overly exaggerated hip hop fans. Their dialogue may just be a result of thinking that's how Americans talk. Her POV is clear, as it's first person and never steers from that. There's an acceptable amount of space between beats and dialogue, and the editing is an industry standard.

 

The book title is intriguing. Makes me wonder what the ten things are. And the cover gives me an idea that she's going through an identity crisis.

 

Things Im not crazy about:

 

While there is plenty of diversity, and I mean main character type diversity, Jamilah herself is so ashamed of her heritage in the company of Anglo-Saxon descended Aussies. So much of her opinion on herself, and other non Anglo-Saxoned Aussies comes from the opinion of the so called "real" Australians." Let's not put sugar on shit. I hated her crush. He was chauvinistic , racist and too arrogant for his age or own good. But I think I actually hated Jamilah more for taking the abuse. Culture and race is kind of where a person like me draws the line. She's relatable but only when she's proud of herself. I don't suppose her passing for "white" is a new story. To be honest, I've never considered the Lebanese to be anything but white, so Im confused about why it's seen as so negative. I suppose perhaps it's common to be considered white in one country, then to immigrate to another and be considered a different race, but she was so eager to not be a "loser" that taking the backhanded racism came with her passing.

 

It really didn't raise the self esteem of young Muslim girls to me. Mind you this is just my opinion, but I never felt as though Jamilah reached her epiphany on how to see herself. She didn't come to any conclusion on her own, she only came to decisions after many tried to convince her to feel that way. She was also so un-appreciative of her father. Perhaps this is a bias of mine. I have such a great appreciation for immigrant parents. They often sacrifice their own happiness for better opportunities for their children, and Jamilah just didn't see that.

 

I think I kind of liked this book. I didn't love it, but didn't hate it. I would probably read from this author again, but I just didn't find it was a great representation of proud Muslim young women.

Actual Rating: 3.5

 

Review can also be seen here on: 

 

http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.html

 

I received an *ARC in exchange for an honest review. If I'm being frank, Im very sensitive to the subject of slavery. It makes me uncomfortable to read about it, see it portrayed in media, or have to think about the times where had I been born in a different time, how differently would my life had been? 

 

I was....hesitant to read this. I like to learn about slavery, but the more I learn, the more sensitive I become towards it. Now with that being said, had I read any other book and hated it, I would never pick up a historical fiction book depicting slavery again. Not to say I will run to amazon.com and look up as many as I can find, but Im glad that I choose this book with the theme in mind to be my first.

 

The Wedding Gift centers around Sarah Campbell, an extremely fair skinned slave whom is the product of illicit relations between her master and her Black mother, and Theodora Allen, the wife of the slave master. Off the bat, I thought I'd hate both characters. In fact, their introductions, I saw nothing special about either of them. But as the story progressed, so did their character development.

 

The plot did not normally grab me. I was afraid I would have to sit through the "tragic mulatto" tale, or worse, the "poor mistress of the plantation" story. The story began to really unfold after about 5 chapters. I thought the pacing was better after this amount of time had passed. The consistency was confusing, as Theodora and Sarah told from different points of the story for themselves, and it took awhile for both their present's to line up. There was a lot of world building from the POV of a slave and the wife of a slave owner. I have to admit it makes me fear Alabama even more. And the predictability aspect had me thinking I was watching an episode of Maury XD Sarah proved she was a bit of an unreliable narrator towards the end.

 

Character development? Hmm...I started out assuming I would hate both main characters. Both women eluded a type of strength, that while in the modern world may not seem like much, but it was truly above and beyond for the times. A close friend(Libby's BF) is biracial, so Im often an audience for his struggles of growing up biracial. Perhaps that was my fear of Sarah being biracial. I thought I'd be given a sob story. Sarah was strong, and her ambition never died to become a free woman. The lengths she took to be free(which included passing for a man,due to her 5'10" frame)were inspiring.

 

Theodora? I may step on toes, but I feared I would have nothing in common with her because she was a slave owner's privileged wife, but the more I learned about her, she wasn't as privileged as I thought. She was a constant victim of misogyny, which was common for this time. She was a fighter on her own battlefield, which was her own home. I tried very hard not to like her, but her love for writing, and education, and her ability to speak her mind were not lost in the times. Both ladies were amazing.

 

The backstory sometimes came too early or too late due to the narrators speaking from different time points. Sarah was about 17-18 by the present events, so at times Theodora, her being seasoned and all, told points from before Sarah was born. There was no consistent amount of chapters each took in exchanging the narration, so sometimes it took me a while to process certain info. Definitely a A LOT of conflict. I mean, reality show anyone? This family was insane. They let a lot of shit go on,and to be honest it made for good drama. Always had me turning the page. Unique? I haven't read any other books in this genre, so I don't think Im a good judge.

 

There was nothing particularly wrong with the writing style, it was just difficult at times for me to understand those with different dialects. The POV is told through two voices, and their both first person and quite clear. I was actually surprised with Sarah acknowledged the reader in the last chapter. Made me feel like they wrote a diary just for me to read. I have no issue with editing as it was pretty good for an ARC, and there was balance between dialogue and action.

 

Due to the setting there was a lot of diversity. Sarah was half white and black, and her sister(who's father was from Senegal) and mother were black. Sarah was the maid to her other biological sister Clarissa, and Theodora was a white woman. For the time, I suppose it's appropriate to see mainly blacks and whites. I found it unbelievable at first that a white woman would teach the illegitimate slave daughter of her husband to read, but she was kind despite her ignorance as well. I don't think one can write historical fiction without research,so thumbs up. There were a lot of characters, and some of them confused me because they weren't introduced, so at times it seemed forced. I liked that Sarah acknowledged her mother and sister were both beautiful. Even Theodora did. Sarah had a lot of European features, so I was glad she acknowledged her sister and mother were very beautiful as they were much darker. I felt as though the circumstances were against Theodora and Sarah and they never let the things that should have stood in their way, do.

 

I didn't find that the cover or titles were suiting however. Sarah was only her sister's "Wedding Gift" for such a small amount of time. And the cover doesn't portray the story very well. Character names? I suppose they're appropriate, but they don't exactly stand out. Descriptions of the characters were pretty good, although I didn't realize Sarah was so tall until she began posing as a man.

 

Overall I think I actually loved it. My first historical fiction read depicting slavery. Will I go out and pick up more books like this? Maybe. I wont rush, but I wont be as prejudice as I have been. This was a truly great gem for me. I hope other books I choose to read in the future are as entertaining as this was!

Actually 4.75 but still. 

Review can also be seen here:

http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com...

I received an *ARC in exchange for an honest review. Can I first say that contemporary fiction just isn't my thing. It's not a go to for me, as I prefer my worlds completely fictional. So perhaps I am not the greatest judge of this genre. But one thing I will say is it captured me from start to finish. It is by far one of the best reads I've had this year, and while it's generally a genre I don't avoid, I don't normally pick books in this genre up.

The Partner Track followed the exploits of Ingrid Yung. Ingrid is a lawyer at one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, and is on "The Partner Track", a term used to describe someone who is grooming themselves to become a partner at a law firm. One of the standouts about this book is that it forces readers to see white male cisgendered privilege at it's ugliest. Unfortunately, being a woman and a minority, such as Ingrid was, the higher you get to the top of your field, the less likely people look like you. 

The pacing in this book was excellent. There was never a moment where I was lost, or bored with the events in the story. It is a short read, so it takes advantage of this by getting straight to the point without having a ton of unnecessary chapters. The reliability and consistency was good as well, as Ingrid and the people whom surrounded her were consist with the story being told. 

I will say that to me there was a bit of world-building. Im not a lawyer/law student and most of my experience with that stuff is only what I see on television. So the way the story painted a clear picture of corporate law(aka "White and Male)without me having a clue what all the terms and politics involved, I was sure I'd get lost, but I didn't. The predictability in the book? While I'll say some things didn't surprise me, they weren't exactly predictable. I think most "assume" we live in a post-racial country, so racism and sexism still tends to shock us. Again, I'll say I wasn't surprised, but I didn't find it predictable at any point.

The character development was on point. I love, love, LOVED Ingrid Yung. I found her to be one of the most relatable characters I've read this year. She was a "no shit taking" type of woman. While she did pick and choose her battles, when it came to race, she never let someone get away with something that made her angry. She was also very human. I don't mind when women are not cry-ers. Im not much of one myself. But women cry when they're hurt. And she wasn't strong all the time, and didn't need to be 24/7. 

The back story was told in an organized fashion, so not to get lost. I used to enjoy back story a lot. But after I began writing, I realized how difficult it can be for others to interpret back story they way a writer might. So I typically am not a fan, but the book did well in showing how great of a support system Ingrid had with her parents. They believed in her so much, and were there for her even when she thought she'd lose their pride in her.

The conflict involved a lot of politics. Wow does a law firm involve a lot of politics. Im not saying that there wont be drama for everyone on their passion in advancing their careers, but being a woman of color in an all white, all boys club definitely makes it a much harder struggle. There are things Ingrid just couldn't do without losing face just because she was female. And even with all her struggles, she later learned, even her white male counterparts held a lot of resentment toward her, assuming she didn't get far in her job through merit, but because of policies put in place to make workplaces more diverse. The book is unique if you compare it to anything mainstream. Many may disagree or are free to agree, but it's very seldom when an Asian woman get to be her own HEROINE. By the end of the book, there is no man to save her, to be her savior, or to make sure she's complete. She makes all her dreams come true ON HER OWN. It's probably why I loved her character so much. She was truly her own superhero.

Grammar I will say that the language can be confusing. The book is gentle on the law terms and dialogue, but it doesn't take long to get back on the horse. The POV is very clear, as it's told from first person, and there are no issues with that. There's a good balance between beats and dialogue so also no issue. The editing is the industry standard. I did notice a few typos, but due to it being an *ARC, I assumed it wasn't the final cut. One issue is that there are times where the book tells vs shows. Many times there were terms like "his what the heck"look. Im assuming my "What the heck" look isn't the same as another person's and I would've rather the book just describe the expression and not be lazy with it.

Diversity was on point. I wont say there was a ton of it, but considering the profession, and the explicit example of working in a "White Boys Club", I think it's appropriate. There were several female characters and well as a good colleague of Ingrid's who was Black and openly gay. I think if in any other world I would have more to say about this, but it's law and it's corporate. I hate to say this but anything more would have seemed forced. The research involved? After goodreads policy change, I am trying hard not to mention authors in reviews, but Im pretty sure the author's experience in law and as a woman of color were her research. So it's more like life experience. The efforts to empower? I never once felt as if Ingrid was weak. Why is this stereotype that Asian women are submissive even relevant anymore? This book reflects the Americans of Asian descent that I know. Strong, successful(in anything, not just career)passionate. I may step on toes saying this, but I believe that of women of Asian descent whom are submissive are such a great minority they may not even exist anymore.

Miscellaneous-wise? The title suits. I will complain about the cover however. Seems a bit whitewashed. Why is it so clear apparent to see the white man's face, but the woman's face is cut off? She's the main character! Ingrid or a representation of her should have been apparent. Also, she also could have been white from the cover, which is why an Asian woman's face should be clear to see. Character names. I will say that while they suit the environment, a whole bunch of white last names just downright confuse me. Im more likely to remember an ethnic last name, so whenever I saw one, outside of characters that were pretty major, it was much easier to remember them than the assortment of european last names.

There were clear descriptions of people and places. It's the book describes the white people on greater detail than anything else, which I suppose is due to environment, as there aren't many POC to describe. The biggest complaint I had was with the "n" word. The book avoided writing it, and Ingrid referred to it as the word that rhymed with bigger. I assume it has to do with being uncomfortable with using and writing it. But guess what? The word should make people feel uncomfortable. It's an ugly word, and to be honest, the minute others stop finding it uncomfortable, racism will have somehow fallen in some deep abyss. Sound crazy? Yeah, which is why it should be there, so people can't ignore the ugliness of it.

Overall this was a great read for me. I would definitely recommend it to people looking for a different perspective. We don't exactly live in a world with only white men, so why should only their experiences still the only ones told in these types of environments?

Actually 4.75 but still. 

Review can also be seen here:

http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com...

I received an *ARC in exchange for an honest review. Can I first say that contemporary fiction just isn't my thing. It's not a go to for me, as I prefer my worlds completely fictional. So perhaps I am not the greatest judge of this genre. But one thing I will say is it captured me from start to finish. It is by far one of the best reads I've had this year, and while it's generally a genre I don't avoid, I don't normally pick books in this genre up.

The Partner Track followed the exploits of Ingrid Yung. Ingrid is a lawyer at one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, and is on "The Partner Track", a term used to describe someone who is grooming themselves to become a partner at a law firm. One of the standouts about this book is that it forces readers to see white male cisgendered privilege at it's ugliest. Unfortunately, being a woman and a minority, such as Ingrid was, the higher you get to the top of your field, the less likely people look like you. 

The pacing in this book was excellent. There was never a moment where I was lost, or bored with the events in the story. It is a short read, so it takes advantage of this by getting straight to the point without having a ton of unnecessary chapters. The reliability and consistency was good as well, as Ingrid and the people whom surrounded her were consist with the story being told. 

I will say that to me there was a bit of world-building. Im not a lawyer/law student and most of my experience with that stuff is only what I see on television. So the way the story painted a clear picture of corporate law(aka "White and Male)without me having a clue what all the terms and politics involved, I was sure I'd get lost, but I didn't. The predictability in the book? While I'll say some things didn't surprise me, they weren't exactly predictable. I think most "assume" we live in a post-racial country, so racism and sexism still tends to shock us. Again, I'll say I wasn't surprised, but I didn't find it predictable at any point.

The character development was on point. I love, love, LOVED Ingrid Yung. I found her to be one of the most relatable characters I've read this year. She was a "no shit taking" type of woman. While she did pick and choose her battles, when it came to race, she never let someone get away with something that made her angry. She was also very human. I don't mind when women are not cry-ers. Im not much of one myself. But women cry when they're hurt. And she wasn't strong all the time, and didn't need to be 24/7. 

The back story was told in an organized fashion, so not to get lost. I used to enjoy back story a lot. But after I began writing, I realized how difficult it can be for others to interpret back story they way a writer might. So I typically am not a fan, but the book did well in showing how great of a support system Ingrid had with her parents. They believed in her so much, and were there for her even when she thought she'd lose their pride in her.

The conflict involved a lot of politics. Wow does a law firm involve a lot of politics. Im not saying that there wont be drama for everyone on their passion in advancing their careers, but being a woman of color in an all white, all boys club definitely makes it a much harder struggle. There are things Ingrid just couldn't do without losing face just because she was female. And even with all her struggles, she later learned, even her white male counterparts held a lot of resentment toward her, assuming she didn't get far in her job through merit, but because of policies put in place to make workplaces more diverse. The book is unique if you compare it to anything mainstream. Many may disagree or are free to agree, but it's very seldom when an Asian woman get to be her own HEROINE. By the end of the book, there is no man to save her, to be her savior, or to make sure she's complete. She makes all her dreams come true ON HER OWN. It's probably why I loved her character so much. She was truly her own superhero.

Grammar I will say that the language can be confusing. The book is gentle on the law terms and dialogue, but it doesn't take long to get back on the horse. The POV is very clear, as it's told from first person, and there are no issues with that. There's a good balance between beats and dialogue so also no issue. The editing is the industry standard. I did notice a few typos, but due to it being an *ARC, I assumed it wasn't the final cut. One issue is that there are times where the book tells vs shows. Many times there were terms like "his what the heck"look. Im assuming my "What the heck" look isn't the same as another person's and I would've rather the book just describe the expression and not be lazy with it.

Diversity was on point. I wont say there was a ton of it, but considering the profession, and the explicit example of working in a "White Boys Club", I think it's appropriate. There were several female characters and well as a good colleague of Ingrid's who was Black and openly gay. I think if in any other world I would have more to say about this, but it's law and it's corporate. I hate to say this but anything more would have seemed forced. The research involved? After goodreads policy change, I am trying hard not to mention authors in reviews, but Im pretty sure the author's experience in law and as a woman of color were her research. So it's more like life experience. The efforts to empower? I never once felt as if Ingrid was weak. Why is this stereotype that Asian women are submissive even relevant anymore? This book reflects the Americans of Asian descent that I know. Strong, successful(in anything, not just career)passionate. I may step on toes saying this, but I believe that of women of Asian descent whom are submissive are such a great minority they may not even exist anymore.

Miscellaneous-wise? The title suits. I will complain about the cover however. Seems a bit whitewashed. Why is it so clear apparent to see the white man's face, but the woman's face is cut off? She's the main character! Ingrid or a representation of her should have been apparent. Also, she also could have been white from the cover, which is why an Asian woman's face should be clear to see. Character names. I will say that while they suit the environment, a whole bunch of white last names just downright confuse me. Im more likely to remember an ethnic last name, so whenever I saw one, outside of characters that were pretty major, it was much easier to remember them than the assortment of european last names.

There were clear descriptions of people and places. It's the book describes the white people on greater detail than anything else, which I suppose is due to environment, as there aren't many POC to describe. The biggest complaint I had was with the "n" word. The book avoided writing it, and Ingrid referred to it as the word that rhymed with bigger. I assume it has to do with being uncomfortable with using and writing it. But guess what? The word should make people feel uncomfortable. It's an ugly word, and to be honest, the minute others stop finding it uncomfortable, racism will have somehow fallen in some deep abyss. Sound crazy? Yeah, which is why it should be there, so people can't ignore the ugliness of it.

Overall this was a great read for me. I would definitely recommend it to people looking for a different perspective. We don't exactly live in a world with only white men, so why should only their experiences still the only ones told in these types of environments?

Actual rating 3.00, so Booklikes is accurate.

 

Review can also be seen here at:

 

http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.html

 

This book was referred to me by the author and another book blogger I connect with. Seeing that it's set mainly in South Africa, seemed to have black characters as main and minor characters, and possibly an interracial romance?(Read further to understand why) I jumped on the opportunity to read it. The Phoneix Rising Destiny Calls definitely has great potential! There were a few things that held the story back, but other than that, I see no reason why another may take something different from the book.

 

Points in the plot were a bit off at times. There were a handful of times when the story went into a flashback/back story and gave almost no notice. It was difficult to distinguish the present from the past. I'd almost suggest perhaps putting flashbacks in italics. It gave me huge brain farts, and I really wanted to get back to the present. There were also times were the consistency/reliability was lacking as well. Again, this goes back to the flashbacks. I think had there been ways to reveal backstory through a "dummy character" or an outside character who doesn't know as much as the main two(which were Kay, and shifting depending on different times in the book)characters. This is not to say a "dummy character" is without knowledge. But they act as the reader might. Which is usually being full of questions, that are relevant to the story. Some knowledge just didn't seem relevant to show, and it slowed down the consistency and pacing.

 

I will however award a point for the world-building. Let's face it, whenever an adventure SF/F story is told, it's rare, if any, told with African culture, lore, or even geography in mind. I'm ashamed to admit I don't read more speculative fiction with more African themes, considering how Afro-Centric I've become over there years. "Ipharadisia" or paradise in english, was a fictional kingdom in South Africa, full of former refugees seeking safe havens. Many of them were victims of being held captive at poacher camps. Perhaps at times it was a bit much, as while I'm awarding it the point, it does somewhat enforce that places in Africa aren't not advanced, and still live indigenously. Watch any film depicting an apocalyptic world. They show every continent, and as always "Africa" is the only that appears extremely behind. This is not against the book, just something I notice in media. I didn't find it predictable, so I'll award it that point, but it was mainly due to the back story being so distracting.

 

Character development wise, I did find Nanyamka aka "Kay" relatable. I too have a name everyone never bothered pronouncing correctly, so up until 21, I really didn't go by my first name. She was a an ambitious aspiring journalist, and she wasn't a stereotype. She was actually quite bookish. She also mentioned wearing "box braids" up until the events in the book, and I recently tried box braids and loved them. With that being said, her personality was just a personality. She wasn't a personality with a "race" attached to it, so if you couldn't relate to her due to her being black, you'd really have to look inside yourself to why you may not have found her relatable.

 

I mentioned the development and backstory earlier, so unfortunately I cant award that point, but if nothing, there was plenty of conflict. At times there was TOO much conflict, as there were a million things going on at once. It's great to have sub-plots. In fact I encourage them, which is why Im awarding the point, but sub-plots you have to learn which works best. Not every single situation that awards conflict needs to be in one book,especially if it is a planned series. There were three groups of villains, and it makes me wonder what the next book will possibly find a threat in. Again, relying on being set mainly in South Africa, as well as having many African people, focus on culture, even having a leading lady with an African name,was unique. Point granted.

 

Grammar and writing style are going to be issues for me. The writing often over explained things. And the character's over explained things, they came off as talking too much, and/or having unrealistic dialogue. The POV is clear, as it's told in first person, but the backstory makes me reluctant. For POV I will however grant the point. Again I mentioned the story over explained things, and when the story didn't, the characters did. I think perhaps a developmental edit would have really helped. I think the story has immense potential. But some points could have been cut, and while it would have made the book shorter, it may have flowed much better.

 

Diversity is where this book wins. Kay was "African" American. Although she was described as being a golden color. Most might mistake that for being tan, so perhaps her description could have been clearer. I've read many characters who were obviously black, but with little description, readers take that the characters are a "default" white. She also wasn't a walking stereotype, so anyone could relate to her.

One of the things that stood out as far as the research was the "Donga" fighting style. I freaking peed in my pants XD. So few people know this Nilotic style of martial arts. Im such a martial arts geek, I love martial arts from many countries. Many haven't even heard of this style, and trust me, I've found no films, books, shows or anything outside of youtube that has given me any inside on it. I was glad the story was able to pull from such a great resource!

 

Her love interest was maybe Asian? It was never clear.He was described to have an almond shaped eye set, but sometimes people use that as a way to describe a epicanthal fold, which is common in many of Asian or African descent. White and Asian men don't have a ton of racial indicators that are different outside of their facial structure, so since his face was never described, I often pictured him mixed race or "Hapa". He could have also been a Latino guy whom could be mulatto, white or Asian, but I was never really sure. A last name would have really helped. Her best friend was Australian so that was cute. And since it was set mainly in South Africa, there were many black characters, as well as white Africans as well. Erec, her other love interest was Nigerian(Yeah for Yorubas! I can speculate that's where my heritage comes from being Afro-Cuban and all) and to be honest, I liked him better. Callum was at times whiney, and TOO perfect. I like a guy with some flaws, and this is not to say he needs to be a jerk, but Erec just seemed like the guy I'd go for, despite having a real thing for Callum.

 

Some characters seemed more forced than others, however. I think the empowerment of the main character was there. I wish her sister Zaina, despite being a villain throughout a majority of the story would have been a bit spread out. I didn't really feel for her, and I like a villain who appears to more than just an angry person.

 

Miscellaneous, I suppose the title is fitting. The lion actually played more of a role than the phoenix though. Also something I try to look for in fantasy and sci-fi, and fall short on. The cover is ok. I wouldnt say I dislike it, and it does suit the book. I just think it wouldnt pop out at me at a brick and mortar setting. The character names suited. I was really glad, for the sake of authenticity, that most the characters who were natives of African countries had ethnic names. It sucked that Kay let her surroundings bully her into never using her full name, but living in the US, this is pretty common. But many of the characters had awesome names. Many Im ashamed I probably couldn't pronounce XD But I still really liked them. Character descriptions were ok. They werent always enough to get a clear picture of them. Many characters were introduced as if I'd already known who they were. Zaina seemed to be the person who was described in the clearest detail, so Im not sure I can award the point.

 

Overall I liked the book. I will probably read the sequel, and I would suggest it to anyone looking for a diverse read featuring African characters!

I received this book through the referral of another author, who's book was recently read and reviewed by Libertad. Edge of Truth is a dystopian style young adult novel. It follows the exploits of Rena Moon and the world of Hollowcrest, a place where it's citizens are forced in line by an unseen authority named Overlord Andrick.

This is what you'll get:

 

 

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My reviews all need to be reformatted. They look a hot mess, but at least I was able to export my lists!

hilarious!

Actual Score 3.25

 

Review can also be seen at:

 

http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.html

 

I started this book a few weeks back. I was finally able to finish it this morning, so I figured I'd just dive in. I will admit first and foremost, literary fiction is not a go to for me. I obviously enjoy it when well written, but perhaps I am not the best judge, so I hope that my opinion will guide anyone interested in traditional "Literary Fiction.

 

"Mad Days of Me: Escaping Barcelona follows the exploits of Rudy, a foreigner in Barcelona, Spain. His nationality is left ambiguous, all that's known about him is that he has suffered a heinous crime, and everything and everyone appears to be keeping him from going home. Rudy finds himself homeless, without a passport, and is forced to do what he must to survive.I suppose I can discuss the difference between the things that I enjoyed, then afterwards, the things that confused me a bit.

 

Things that I liked:

 

I found the world-building of Spain quite refreshing. I've never been, but a pen-pal(whom I recently met in Los Angeles after studying abroad)of mine is originally from Barcelona.

 

The author(in my opinion) did a great job of painting a picture of the settings, especially Plaça Reial, a common meeting ground in the story. I even looked up pictures from this place, and it seemed pretty accurate. I'm typically so wrapped up in an imaginary world created for me in books, that stopping to notice the settings in a world that actually exists was cool.I didn't find any part of the book predictable. While i'll address some things in the points that caused me confusion, I typically look for points where I say "I knew that would happen." I didn't have any moments with that point in the book. There was also plenty of conflict. What is a story without conflict? Conflict is by far, one of the single most defining points in a book. Conflict tends to bring out character. When a character is given a choice, whether good or bad, it lets the reader make a decision about the character's choices. There was one moment(I don't like to leave spoilers in my reviews, so you'll just have to read it) in which my opinion of Rudy completely changed, just due to the choice he was forced to make. It was literally his behind, or another one's(in his case, three other ones). While it didnt benefit him as far as his safety was concerned, in my opinion he made the right choice. Perhaps not the smartest choice, but character is revealed through conflict.I think it was unique in the way his national origin is withheld from the story. He's obviously White, as he at one point mentioned, while with a friend, "that they were the only white guys there", but I assume this was to steer away from his origin having any significance over the plot.

 

Also, from my pennie(pen-pal)I know that Spain is somewhat diverse. They have big North African populations, so point on that one for doing the research for that. I didn't however see a big Chinese population. This isn't anything bad, I just thought there might be more, considering they were often in areas with big tourists and Im familiar with Spain having Chinatowns(though this is not from experience, this is from what a native has shared with me).There was a lot of Diversity in the book. Other Spaniards, Colombian, Romanian, German, Irish and North African(Arab) and I think East/West African? I wasn't extremely clear on one character, as he wasn't given a name or a backstory, so I wasn't too sure on his character. My only complaint was that there was only one real female main character. I didn't find them unrealistic, but what I will say that with the Romanian character, I was a little uneasy with him being referred to an "gypsy."Im sure to the average person, this isn't offensive. But in Europe, this is typically a demeaning word to refer Romanians to. Just saying.I find that the cover and title do fit the book quite well, so no issues with that.

 

Character names? I thought most of the names were cool except Jorge XD His character was Colombian, and I know its a common name, but was there no other name but Jorge to choose from? XD It's not really something I take issue with, I just thought the name was a bit boring in comparison to Colombians I know.

 

Things I was indifferent about:

 

Rudy's narration. He seemed like an unreliable narrator. Im not sure whether this was intentional or not, and being an unreliable narrator is definitely not a bad thing. It just means I found his POV at times compromised. This could have been a side effect to the way Barcelona had treated him, but to me, he just came off as the "unreliable narrator."The main character at times talked a lot. At times, too much. Mind you, his character was surrounded by antagonistic forces at every side, so perhaps he didn't have the desire to entertain his company. There were just pacing issues when it came to his POV. It often made his POV unclear at times, and I was trying very hard to understand him better.I also thought there were a few times I'd read a word, and "very" or "ish" would be at the end of it. This is often to bring stronger emphasis to a word, but I think that there are stronger words one could use when cornered with the decision to describe some as "very" or "blank-ish." I wont say it's a deal breaker, just something I noticed while reading.

 

The only strong female character was a Spaniard named Pilar. I found her to be my favorite character. She had her own difficult backstory, and like Rudy was forced to survive with the circumstances given to her. I wasn't exactly happy about Rudy slut shaming her. This is in reference to her sleeping with several characters in the book, one of them very dangerous. In the same situation, who knows what one would do in order to stay alive. I didn't like how Rudy judged her for using what she had to save her own behind.Overall I will say I enjoyed the book, despite it being a genre I don't normally read. I'd read the sequel, and suggest it for anyone looking for a suspense, tragedy and despair in your typical fiction novel.

 

Small note: There are sexual situations. I'd hate to not mention that if a reader is sensitive to intimacy in novels.

Definitely good tips. A lot of times the author is being a bit repetitive, but I believe it is in good faith. He is constantly trying to make writers understand you must make a habit of doing certain things to achieve your first drafts quickly.It's up to the reader to take the advice for face value or not.

Based on my grading scale it's actually 3.5, which is only because the diversity isn't apparent so it lacked a full point. I loved it so I lean it towards the four. Review can also be found on:http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.htmlWho really isn't a fan of J.K.Rowling? I believe it is difficult to grade a Harry Potter book without bias. It is a book series that touched so many people, whether through it's pages or onscreen. I will do my best to grade it without bias.Most are already quite familiar with the world-building aspect of this series. I will admit, I secretly watched the film before the book, so I expected most of things that I saw. I think however had I not seen this film, I would have found it quite suspenseful. :) It was consistent and reliable, although there were a few pacing issues for me.The best thing about this series in general is how relatable Harry Potter actually is. I'm not a 13 year old white British boy, but I really felt for him. I always feel for him. I wish I could say that I knew what it was like to go through all the terrible things he'd gone through, but that made me feel for him. I honestly felt throughout the story that I was him. That's how sympathetic his character is written. There is plenty of backstory and conflict for those of us cheaters who completed the films before the books. There's actually many details that are need to knows that I'm surprised the movie lacked. I've seen this film four times, and had I read it before hand, I would have known extremely important details to the origins of Harry's "Patronus." This book is unique, as it was really the most mainstream a book about wizards and witches has ever gotten.I have little to no complaints about grammar, although a bunch of times I didn't understand Hagrid. Im sure it's because he's a Scotsman and his dialogue is written how he speaks, but sometimes I had to google terms he used. The editing is to the standard of the industry. One thing I will say is that in climatic scenes, there was WAY too much dialogue. I understand the whole scene where all the most important details about Sirius Black are revealed, but there were several pages where it was mostly dialogue. The beats were few, and it seemed like a lot of "telling" vs "showing".Diversity wise is where J.K. lost me. Mind you, i've seen the films. I am well aware that certain characters are different races. However Im grading the book on diversity, not the film. Outside of the obvious ethnic names of Padma and Parvati Patil, and Cho Chang, you really can't tell there is more than that. And for the most part they're side characters. Names that are passed around just for the sake of it. I know in the UK it's a melting pot, that consists of mainly whites. But only the white characters get to go through Harry's adventures. I give it a C for effort, as it does mingle other different types of British folks(Scottish, Welsh, English, what appears to be Northern Ireland). But it's few that make the list of Harry's quest companions.The title is amazing and captures the essence of the book. The cover is also amazing(though I may have the first edition. I see they're now releasing new covers). I find the character names appropriate, and unique enough to stand out from a crowd, but simple enough to remember. Character descriptions? I feel only "certain" characters get described in detail. Meaning the white characters. I onle have clear pictures of these characters because I've seen the films, but I would've assumed they were all white aside from Cho and the Patil twins.Overall I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loke extremely forward to the fourth book, and hope J.K. finally describes the characters I had issues with. My rating will definitely be higher once those issues are dealt with.

Actual rating 2.75Review can also be viewed here:http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.htmlI'll admit it, I'm a sucker for elemental themed magic books. I blame Avatar: The last airbender for this obsession, as the way it blended the mastering of elemental manipulation and making it a way of life has left a dent in my life, and I'm always looking for ways to repair XDI saw this cover on amazon and when I read the synopsis I was curious. While it didn't focus on any other elements, focusing on wind was enough to spark a purchase. It followed the exploits of a teenage boy named Vane, whom finds out he comes from a race of "Sylphs" or wind walkers. There were some pros and cons to this book. I enjoyed it but there were several things that just did not captivate me as a reader.The pacing started out slow. To be honest, it took about 110 pages for anything that caught my attention to happen. Forgive me if this is offensive, but there was often too many displays of info dumping. At times the story contradicted itself. To give an example, the female leading lady was also a sylph and his guardian. Sylph's did not eat, as it "grounded" them(groundlings was a term for humans) or weakened their affinity with the wind. He accidentally gave her a drop of water. It weakened her to a point where temporarily, she couldn't project herself through the wind in the ways she wanted. Vane's been living as a normal human, and eating human food. Im not sure what caused the decision to make Vane reach his potential despite the things against him. But it definitely gave me the impression of "I man, you woman, I rule, you don't."The wind aspect dragged at times. Like i mentioned, Avatar really screwed with me. I expected to see things in the realm of airbending, but talking to the wind and learning its language was where they gained their power. It just didn't captivate me like I wanted. The world building also had faults, as at times, it was seen through Audra(the female lead) and her consistent info dumping. She revealed too much, and when dealing with duel perspectives, I find that rather irritating. I'd rather find out with the person whom is supposed to find themselves. I will give it this. Certain aspects went beyond predictability for me. I probably should have seen it coming, but there is often always a traitor among you, so I was being optimistic about the villain.I didn't necessarily relate to Vane, but mainly because at times he was a bit sexist. I liked that his mother was a constant force in his life(as YA books seem to ignore parents completely, despite these teens not exactly being financially able) but he wanted to change many things about his love interest. That'll come later, but Audra was more like me. Sometimes I get so tired of reading women whom have no sense of logic, that i'll stop reading completely just to give myself a few weeks to calm down. Audra was smarter than most heroines, so while she isn't necessarily likable, I liked her. I felt as if the development and back story explained what I needed to know BUT again, it gave it too me all at once, so having to process so much at once irritated me. I think there's definitely conflict, but Im very tired of the insta-love theme. Man I wish the industry would retire this, because I cant imagine genuinely falling in love with someone in just a week. That part of it was definitely a bit too mainstream for my taste. The concept of the book is cool, but there are similar books featuring a "One whom has to save all" theme. I don't think it's going anywhere, and I love it, but it didn't reinvent the theme for me.Grammar, it meets the industry standard. I don't have many quarrels about it, but again, there's a ton of info dumping, so some points don't balance out dialogue and beats.Diversity? Here's where I shake my head. There wasn't much. I liked that Vane is adopted, and that represents a certain minority that does not get much shine. But they lived in California. I've recently been, and I know one area cant speak for an entire state, but to have one latino character seemed rather unrealistic. He was a side character, and that's alright, because POC deserve to be captivating sidekicks, villains, love interests in addition to being main characters(MC). But he was more like a dollar in your wallet, when you're making a purchase and forget there's tax. It's there but it's pretty useless. The ways the author used to describe him seemed a bit demeaning. He was the ONLY character not described as attractive in the book. Hmmm...The women of this book saved most of the development in the characters, but this fell victim to making it seem as if a female hero isn't capable of the things a male hero can do. Vane was not nearly as seasoned, but he gets the most out of the dramatic action sequences. He literally felt pain when harming another sylph. So he's capable of taking out his enemy more than someone trained to do this line of "waste management?" Audra was strong, but at times he displayed alpha male behavior. Which is strange, because he was a complete "nice guy", not a jerk like most alpha males. He looked at Audra as fragile, but I saw the harsh experiences she had to encounter as ways of making her stronger. But this is my opinion. He also thought she wasn't being herself when she didn't reach his standard of how a girl should dress or wear her hair. She wore constrictive plaits, and preferred her hair out, long and flowy. Cant speak for most, but my boyfriend loves braids, despite it being a significant cultural difference for him. Just saying.I think the cover fits, and the title is catchy. I was attracted to the title, and after finishing it, it seemed appropriate. The names weren't common, which I always like to see. I think the author paints clear pictures of the way the characters look, so I had no issue with that. I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to it's sequel, and will be on the lookout for Mrs.Messenger's books again. :)

3.75 review to come XDReview also on:http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.htmlI finally got around to reading the sequel to "Tiger's Curse." I started it a few months back, but put it down, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure why. The main character Kelsey and Kishan, her boyfriend Ren's younger brother, are put at the forefront for this book, and to be honest, I've found that I prefer Kishan!This book had a few things I didn't like, but it was a vast improvement from the first book. For plot and storyline, I believe the world building was amazing. While Indian folklore is the dominant form of mysticism, it borrows from several cultures. China, Japan, Nepal, European. I would've liked to see North African or South African lore though. I don't think it's too much to ask, since they are places with Asian populations. I like that it blended to make it seem all cultures were relative, but when European is the only other dominant lore, it's makes it seem like the dominant culture is following a form of fetichism, and that the next best thing to add is European culture. Maybe the future of the series won't take this route in the future?I didn't predict any STRONG plot turn and twist. The small ones were easy to, but because the strong ones were what made me keep reading, I'll award it the point. The consistency was shaky, but only because the main character often had her head in the clouds over "boys" , instead of the task at hand. I know she's human, but at times, characters seemed to talk only about how hot each brother looked to her. That also slowed down it's pacing at times as well.Character Development was a strong point for this book. Kelsey, despite my feelings about her character perhaps being best suited for an Indian female teen, was quite relatable. She was funny, sarcastic, and most of the time didn't want to be a damsel in distress. I'm adamant on her being Indian however, because it displays cases of white washing for me. But I'll get to that in the diversity portion of the review. The backstory in this sequel is more in depth than the first. We get to learn a few things about Kishan that will definitely make you feel for him. There was also plenty of conflict, but I at times was confused. Kelsey's boyfriend Ren was being held captive, so for months she was in the company of his brother. While I understand that she was being a loyal girlfriend, the love triangle seems pretty pointless. I mean, what's the point if both of them don't have a good chance? This book is unique, for it's use of Indian lore and main characters in modern day story telling, so 1.00 earned all through.Grammar and Style of writing was pretty typical of the industry standard.There were a few errors, but not enough to make note and remember days after finishing the book. Kelsey herself seemed a bit choppy at times, but it wasn't enough to take away from her Voice most of the time. Her POV is clear in first person, and the author creates the voices of each character well enough to distinguish. It's edited to an industry stand point, but could have cut out several points where all Kelsey did was admire the brother's looks every other second. The balance between beats and dialogue is also done well. 0.75 earned. Now to my favorite part: Diversity. While this is one of the few books I've read where most or all but one characters are South Asian, I have some hits and misses about it. I adore that the objects of affection are two South Asian men. I feel as though them being the center point empowers the image of the Indian male with a great service. There are so many stereotypes to Indian men, and for the most part, this comes from having no knowledge of the culture of different types of South Asians. When someone's way of life is different, it's seen as weird. I liked that the author didn't choose to go the route of alienating the culture to seem unappealing.The author also had to do a lot of research to get her lore accurate enough to give it a fantasy spin. Granted, with all lore, things are changed around to make them fit better with the storyline or make them less surreal(I've always believed Americans disliked surrealism). The one negative thing I will say is that it seemed like a forced effort for Kelsey to be Caucasian. While race shouldn't matter, I feel it just seems to be a huge case of whitewashing. Kelsey will not just be helping break the tiger's curse, she'll also be helping the fate of all India. As if Indians are not competent enough to save their own country. I get it. The culture is beautiful, and there's little ways to be apart of it if you're not Indian without whitewashing. But an Indian heroine would have been a breath of fresh air to me, so that readers can see that they're not so different from each other. Ever wonder why it's ok for only Caucasians to admire other races in books, but you hardly ever see a East Asian descent or African descended girl in this same situation?I do feel however that Kelsey is empowered in her own right. In the beginning she chooses to date several guys instead of just going with the obvious. I've read reviews that judged this choice of hers, but she hasn't dated before Ren, and this one person for one person stuff gets boring. Young people have options. They're hardly ever given the opportunity in books to showcase this. Kelsey also took martial arts and the like, so if put in an endangering situation she could defend herself. Beats the alternative of letting your boyfriend turn you into a vampire for super strength. Seems like the easy way out. So for diversity I give it .75 of the point.Miscellaneous scoring , I believe the title and cover art are suiting. They're simple but match the book's route of where it wanted to be. The names are just as they were in the original. Unique to me, but perhaps maybe not to a person of Indian descent. They're unique but simple enough to remember. I do however have to complain about one point. The character descriptions. Kelsey describes herself as plain, or not worthy of the boys too often for me to overlook. If she's so damn plain, why is she not only dating 3 hot guys, but have two hot brothers pinning over her. It doesn't make sense. What's wrong with just admitting the main character is attractive? Is it somehow un-relatable to be considered such?I will never get that about YA books. Let's face it, half the main characters would not pin over a girl who's personality is just beautiful. We have to stop giving book babes too much credit. Men fall for what they see. That's generally what makes them different from women. So that irritates me, and will continue to. The author also choose to make both Ren and Kishan unique looking South Asians. They are both mixed race Indians. They're mother was originally from China, and had "blue" eyes. Ren has inherited this trait, as Kishan has gold eyes. Now Kishan is believable because for the most part, gold can be described as hazel. There are plenty of Indian men with these types of eyes. But blue eyes seems unrealistic, and looking up to see examples of this trait, it looks creepy and not attractive on Indian men. Are men of color not attractive without features common in Caucasians? Even green would have been better, as green often blends better, and plenty of Indian actors have green eyes. I have such a hard time picturing Ren without picturing a white actor~Luke Pasqualino( whom I thought was of South Asian descent but is actually Italian).Overall I enjoyed it and look very much to the sequel. Im actually surprised it rates this high with me XDGuinevere's Rating: 3.75

1.75 starsReview can also be viewed at:http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.htmlI found out about this book after I re-watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, and searched eagerly for a book that featured elemental power in fantasy novels. Let me just say, Avatar raises your expectations way too high. This was my first attempt at reading a book featuring elemental magic as a main focus of the plot. I was deeply disappointed.Before I go on about the things I disliked, I will say this. I do appreciate that it focuses A LOT on the environment. Too many of us don't think our earth matters, until the problem is too big to fix. I have to commend the author for trying to bring awareness to eco-related issues.Now with that being said, I have to say I didn't quite enjoy this book. If I didn't know any better , I would say this was an erotica novel. And I get it, people have sex. What I don't quite like is it being described in great detail. It makes me wonder why women judge men so much for watching porn, when there are so many women READING the same thing. It isn't much different if you ask me, and it grosses me out to read "this" plunge or penetrate "that."Plot and Storyline: I can only give this book .25 points out of a total 1.00, as the book lacked too many flaws in it's pacing. Half the time I didn't know where the story was going, and i put the book down three times before I completed it recently. The author was not a consistent storyteller. The book was supposed to center around a woman whom discovered she was a "Gaia" , or a woman whom can tame Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. Don't expect "The Legend of Korra." So much of the plot focused on the main protagonist being held hostage, and then upon figuring out her purpose, ignored the training. The world-building was passable, so that's where I gave the point, as they did travel a bit, and I did like that aspect of the plot. But the book was a bit predictable, and at times, I wanted to rip the pages and use them for toilet paper.Character Development: As far as character development, it was poor at best to me. I did relate the the main character, but that was until penis became a thing to do out of boredom. She and her love interest slept together before I ever felt chemistry for them. I just didn't care that they were attracted to each other, because I didn't get why they were. I liked that she wasn't a teenager, she was 25+. But I expect a teenager to be stupid, so the main protagonist's choices seemed immature at times. The backstory they choose to show seemed rushed, and there was more drama than plot. I suppose it deserves .25 points for conflict, because it had plenty. But outside of it being eco-friendly, the story was not very unique. It didn't move me the way that I wanted it to.Grammar: I will be the first to say I'm not a grammar nazi,. The writing style could have been stronger, but I believe it was better than most indie efforts(this book was independently published, and upon it's success was offered representation). While the POV is distinguishable in first person, I honestly just didn't think the POV was consistent enough to gain my quarter point. The best thing about it was the editing, as there were mistakes but I believe they were minimal, not like typical indie books. The beats between dialogue weren't what I was looking for in a book either. Sometimes characters talked too much for my taste, and it often pushed back the story for me.Diversity: Well this will be easy. There was known. This book reminded me of Aliens 3. You know? The one everyone refuses to talk about? The disaster that is Aliens 3? It focused on a woman being surrounded by men in a foreign place. But every single person was Caucasian. There wasn't even a gay or two in the story. They went to Ecuador, and while a character with the ability to bend water(who couldn't speak English, mind you) seemed promising, like any POC, he's killed off as if he lacks importance. It also did little to boost the self esteem of women, especially rape victims. There were a few scenes that featured rape, and I have to say, I could've done without the main character "almost" having an orgasm at the hands of her rapist. Really? I know you must do what you have to, in order to survive a rape, but I would've liked to see a better job. I respect that the author didn't attempt to make it seem like it didn't bother her, as I'm sure her reaction is similar to most victims, but I just didn't like it. I also noticed a lot of hints of Buddhism and Hinduism, which of course, makes me assume other people's cultures are more interesting when they are told through the eyes of Caucasian characters. The research was there so it gets a quarter point, but it's just barely.Misc: I'll award .50 points as the cover art and title do fit the book. However the character descriptions were not well done. I only knew one character was blond,and the other was dark haired. Her love interest and the villain mentioned being brothers, but it seemed as if the author forgot that, as the villain hit on the love interest's sister quite a lot. I barely knew what the main character looked like. Character names were ok, but plain. I tend to look for unique, even if at times they're hard to remember. Overall I will read the sequel just to see if the series is worth continuing. If I don't like the sequel I definitely won't invest further. I rate it a 1.75

Actually 4.5 after reviewing it further, but I am leaning it closer to 5.Check out my review also on:http://twinjabookreviews.blogspot.com/p/our-reviews.htmlI bought this book because I was looking for a POC leading protagonist in a steampunk themed book. Let me tell you, I am very much glad I choose this as my first steampunk book. Whilst I admire the steampunk inspired sub-genre of science fiction through the small or big screen, I'm ashamed to admit, I've yet to read a steampunk book. Why? Because writers never think to put POC characters in them. Steampunk is a type of fantasy sub-genre within itself. Most argue, that the eras in which they are written are not appropriate for POC to mingle with the white folk XD Bull donkey! It's fiction, and most often alternate reality! It doesn't have to be 100% accurate! It's fiction! And now that I've ranted, on to the review.For the Plot and storyline, I award it .75 of the point. The book exists in a alternative universe where Nicola Tesla dramatically altered put world by tearing a hole in the universe. He and Charles Darwin are what's considered the greatest minds in history, and are even types of gods in this world. The pacing is great, however at times confusing but at best brilliant. I had only found out about this book because I saw the sequel's cover feature an Asian male on the cover. Turns out I already owned the first book just never got around to reading it. It didn't rush information, so that left me always picking it back up. But word of advice, the language used will confuse most,especially those whom don't typically read steampunk inspired books. the writing and storyline proved again and again that everything you see is consistent with everything you WILL see. I don't even think I have to go there on the world building. It was nothing short of amazing. I really felt as if this "New London" was a place I could see, and "The London we do not speak of" was truly a London of the past. As far as predictability, there were some things I easily predicted. The ending not so much, but for the most part, small details I predicted, so I docked it .25 points.As far as character development goes, the main protagonist "Vespa Nyx" was a great leading lady. I was so glad she wasn't a pushover or some girly girl waiting for a prince to save her. She was intelligent, witty, adventurous, and far from a damsel in distress. She was also a person of color(POC). Our terms don't exist to them, but she's essentially a mixed race Asian woman. I can't say that she's relatable to everyone, but as a woman whom would never expect for a man to solve all her problems, she related to me. If you're that kind of girl, you'll love Vespa =DThere were plenty of development, and the characters introductions were well balanced. I never got too sick of one character. There was also plenty of conflict. Vespa had to face many obstacles, that were not limited to figuring out how to use magic, to figuring out whether she could be with the man she liked. And she didn't want for him to make a move, she took the initiative! I definitely think this is unique compared to books that i've read, so I award one full point for character development! 1.00As far as grammar, it had very few mistakes. Possibly due to it being a book backed by a major publishing house? It was well edited, had a good balance between dialogue and beats. The language matches the universe as well. And the POV(point of view's) switched between Vespa and the second main character Syrus Reed. It was clear to distinguish them, as hers were always in first person, and his were always in third person. So full point well earned 1.00!As far as diversity goes Vespa and Syrus(whom I believe was full Asian) were both well written. They were both believable, and I did root for them. Syrus's entire race are based off a Baima Tibetan subgroup in a Sichuan province of China. I only wish I could tell if there were more people of color outside of the two of them and the "Tinkers"(those whom were Asian). Definitely a lot of research was involved, though it could have been more. I didn't feel the effort was forced as well.Vespa was a woman, whom also had unique heritage. Everything about that says she should be submissive, and she wasn't. I found her empowering, especially to anyone whom feels Asian women aren't main protagonists nearly enough. Syrus was also pretty cool for a 14 year old. I look forward to see if that's him on the "The Tinker King" cover, as the guy is incredibly handsome. Overall I'd say it deserved a full point . 1.00The miscellaneous things about the book, "The Unnaturalists" had a suitable title. Reading the book you learn an "unnaturalist" is a person whom studies "unnaturals", or mythical beasts(had some great ones to whomever is into mythology). The cover definitely matches the beauty of the heroine. I loved the cover. The names are for the most part distinguishable. Nicknames were harder to associate, and those pretending to be people they were not, also confused me. But the character names were unique enough to distinguish, but simple enough to remember. My only complaint with the MISC aspects were the descriptions of the characters. Three characters that were important, the author never described in detail. Or not enough detail to have clearer pictures of them. Her love interest I thought was Asian, until he was described as having blue eyes. To be quite honest, I kind of just said eff the blue eyes, and pictured someone Asian anyway. I didn;t picture him being Caucasian, so by the time he was introduced as such, I was a little upset he wasn't Asian. Another character was a socialite, whom I assumed due to her demanding personality was in her 40's. Turned out she was only 18. The villain? I almost always had a hard time picturing him. So it's getting docked a .25 point because I felt the descriptions could have been a bit more extensive.Overall it's one of the best reads I've had this year.