Review: Ruby by Cynthia Bond

Publisher: Hogarth
Pages: 368
Received: Received a copy from Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: February 10, 2015 (Paperback)
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Ephram Jennings has never forgotten the beautiful girl with the long braids running through the piney woods of Liberty, their small East Texas town. Young Ruby Bell, “the kind of pretty it hurt to look at,” has suffered beyond imagining, so as soon as she can, she flees suffocating Liberty for the bright pull of 1950s New York. Ruby quickly winds her way into the ripe center of the city--the darkened piano bars and hidden alleyways of the Village--all the while hoping for a glimpse of the red hair and green eyes of her mother. When a telegram from her cousin forces her to return home, thirty-year-old Ruby finds herself reliving the devastating violence of her girlhood. With the terrifying realization that she might not be strong enough to fight her way back out again, Ruby struggles to survive her memories of the town’s dark past. Meanwhile, Ephram must choose between loyalty to the sister who raised him and the chance for a life with the woman he has loved since he was a boy.

My Review:

I can totally tell why this book is an Oprah's Book Club pick, it is an emotional read but Cynthia Bond truly tugs at her readers heartstrings with these characters. Ephram Jennings was always in love with Ruby Bell but when he was younger he realized he missed his chance with her... but when she arrives back in Liberty, Ephram realizes that he has a second chance to be with her.

It took me a little bit of time to get into this story and understand what was really going on, but once I really started to get to know the characters I was hooked and I needed to know more. Slowly throughout the entire story, Cynthia Bond unravels Ruby's story and really lets us understand why she is so closed off. There is a lot of darkness in the undertone of the book, but it hits readers strong and shows how these characters are fighters in the toughest of times.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how to review this book because I found it to be an experience. The character of Ruby has fought through so much in her life to come back to more tragedy... it was hard to get through this book at times seeing what Ruby had to go through, and the deeper you get into the book, the deeper you delve into Ruby's past as well. At the same time Ephram has lived an interesting life, he has never left the town of Liberty and is blind to a lot of what is going on.

When Ruby comes back it seems like these two are meant for each other, Ruby helps open Ephram's eyes to more of what is hidden in his little hometown. While he helps Ruby learn to open up and trust someone else for once. Honestly, I felt that this was such a beautiful book, with characters that have to overcome a lot of adversity for the love they feel for one another, but you will find yourself in love quickly as well.

I will say there are a few scenes that are difficult to get through, they are disturbing and I found that it made the story hard to keep going with, but these scenes are truly important to both the past and future of Ephram and Ruby. This is one book I definitely recommend.

DNF Review: Those Girls by Lauren Saft

Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 336
Received: Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

Release Date: June 9, 2015
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Some girls will always have your back, and some girls can't help but stab you in it.

Junior year, the suburbs of Philadelphia. Alex, Mollie and Veronica are those girls: they're the best of friends and the party girls of the school. But how well does everybody know them--and really, how well do they know one another? Alex is secretly in love with the boy next door and has joined a band--without telling anyone. Mollie suffers from a popular (and possibly sociopathic) boyfriend, as well as a serious mean streak. And Veronica just wants to be loved--literally, figuratively, physically....she's not particular. Will this be the year that bonds them forever....or tears them apart for good?

Lauren Saft masterfully conveys what goes on in the mind of a teenage girl, and her debut novel is raw, honest, hilarious, and thought-provoking, with a healthy dose of heart.

My Review:

This book was described as a more modern Gossip Girls type book so it had me intrigued, because I did somewhat enjoy those books when I was younger and I absolutely loved the show. I was interested at first but that diminished very quickly and I had a lot of trouble wanting to pick this up. I only made it through a couple of chapters before I finally gave up deciding that these girls were not ones I wanted to continue to get to know.

Readers come into the book believing that these girls we follow are all best friends, you follow through all their perspectives and see what is going through their head, but even those are some of the meanest thoughts anyone could have towards a friend. Everything about these girls is so unreal for high school age and it is just too over the top, but also these girls are so degrading and mean to one another that I just could not continue. I got more frustrated with these girls as I kept reading to the point where I just wanted to throw the book out the window and never look at it again.

Their actions are all so stupid and vain and these are not people I would ever want to know in real life. I can't really say if things get better between the girls at the end of the story because I just couldn't get to the halfway point to see if anything would look up. The deeper I went, the more miserable the characters seemed and the more I needed to get away from the story...

I truly believe that this story is worse than Gossip Girls was, but then again I believe if I went back and read that it is possible that it is just as bad. None of this is realistic of people that age and if it is I am just glad that I didn't have friends like that. This was just one story I just cannot stand behind at all and am glad that I stopped before it got worse.

Review: Firewalker by Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Series: Worldwalker #2
Pages: 352
Received: Received a copy from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 1, 2015
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!

My Review:

I was so in love with the first book of this series that I just needed to read this book as soon as I got the chance. This book begins right where we left off in Trial By Fire. Josephine Angelini totally captured my heart with her characters and this book not only brings a lot more history to readers but also brings us closer to some other side characters.

After burning herself to get back to her world, Lily has a lot to recover from and she is ready to get back to her old life but with Rowan by her side this time. As Lily is recovering she is also coming to understand her magic that much more, but it comes at a steep price. What I absolutely loved about this book in the series was how Angelini delved so much deeper into Lilian's history, readers really get to see things from her perspective. You really get to understand how she became what she is and what truly drives her.

Angelini makes amazing connections in both worlds, that really show readers there are similarities and yet the smallest difference has such a large impact on the world. As Lily learns more about this other world she wonders if she can truly stay in her own world or if she should let Lilian persuade her to come back and fight for what she believes in. This book is just as fast-paced as the last one was and it is truly a ride that you do not want to get off.

There is still so much to learn about the different worlds and I am interested to know what Lily is going to do next, she has a lot of decisions to make as she becomes a stronger witch. Lily wants to save those that she loves and you see she is the type of person who will do anything to keep her family safe. Trust me, you will fall in love with these characters and it makes the story interesting having this alternate reality where there are people you know but there are still differences.

Everything happens so quickly in this book, but there is so much history as well that this is a great sequel, really giving readers more of the story little by little. I am excited to learn more about the Woven (hopefully there is more about them in the next book), because I think there is definitely a lot that people of Alternate Salem don't know about these monsters, and Lily is slowly finding out more about this new world. This is a great series to check out for sure!!