Review: Cataract City by Craig Davidson

Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 416

Received: Received a copy from Random House of Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 3, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Owen and Duncan are childhood friends who've grown up in picturesque Niagara Falls--known to them by the grittier name Cataract City. As the two know well, there's more to the bordertown than meets the eye: behind the gaudy storefronts and sidewalk vendors, past the hawkers of tourist T-shirts and cheap souvenirs live the real people who scrape together a living by toiling at the Bisk, the local cookie factory. And then there are the truly desperate, those who find themselves drawn to the borderline and a world of dog-racing, bare-knuckle fighting, and night-time smuggling.

Owen and Duncan think they are different: both dream of escape, a longing made more urgent by a near-death incident in childhood that sealed their bond. But in adulthood their paths diverge, and as Duncan, the less privileged, falls deep into the town's underworld, he and Owen become reluctant adversaries at opposite ends of the law. At stake is not only survival and escape, but a lifelong friendship that can only be broken at an unthinkable price.

My Review:

I absolutely love being able to feature Canadian books on this blog, and CATARACT CITY is such a strong book and I am glad to see it on the longlist for the Giller because it definitely deserves recognition. This is a story about a strong friendship between two boys that have been through so much together.

I really enjoyed the history of Niagara Falls inserted into this book, there was so much I didn't know about the people that lived there, and I had no idea it was called "Cataract City". It's great when I can learn history in a book like this. This book is told from both Owen and Duncan's perspectives as they are now and as they remember the past and what led to where they are.

I was really intrigued by these two characters, they are both very flawed and that makes their story interesting to follow to see where they take their lives from how they grew up. Owen and Duncan experience something in childhood that bonds their friendship and yet also breaks their friendship when their parents decide that they need time away from each other. Over the years there are things that continually bring these two together even though they are on different paths.

I loved that this book takes readers into a darker part of Niagara Falls with dog-racing, fighting, and smuggling of items. This is a Niagara Falls that I never thought existed and I'm interested to really learn more about this dark side. This is real life and it is scary to know that this existed.

Craig Davidson has brought these characters to life and really shown a beautiful friendship that is able to withstand many issues, they are brothers and help each other out. I loved their interactions with one another as their friendship grows and falls apart, and yet still they come back together. I'm happy to have read this book because it really makes me appreciate the friendships I have in my life and I want to hold onto those.

This is a great book with a lot of emotions running around as these two boys grow to find themselves and what they want to do with their future. 

Review: Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 384

Received: Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

Release Date: September 17, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

A novel about the end of days full of surprising beginnings 

The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand.

Alexandra Coutts's TUMBLE & FALL is a powerful story of courage, love, and hope at the end of the world.

My Review:

This book has had a lot of press around it and has been very hyped up, these types of books are always scary because what if you don't like the book... And I will say this will be a difficult review to write because I'm still unsure of my feelings with this story.

I had a hard time getting through this, the way the characters acted at times was over the top and I had trouble following the story. This story follows the lives of three people as the world is ending and how they spend what they believe to be their last days alive. Each of these three characters have issues and are trying to get through life day by day. None of the characters were very likeable but it was interesting to see how the end o f the world changes their outlook.

What I got from this story is to live life to the fullest, tell those around you that you love them and just have fun. This book left me thinking a lot about the things that happened and how each of the three characters dealt with life. Though following the story is difficult the end result really makes this story worth it. Alexandra Coutts has written something that if you stick with it makes you think about your own life.

Honestly, I was completely ready to give up on this book, there are parts where the teens make decisions that made me want to hit them and say think through things better. I wanted to yell at them at how they were allowing themselves to be treated in some situations and how they treated others. But by the end this book is about forgiveness and living life to the fullest, as well as loving as much as you can. I think that the story is kind of okay but what you as a reader will get out of the story makes this a beautiful and thoughtful read!

Blog Tour for Shadows by Paula Weston Review

Publisher: Tundra Books
Series: The Rephaim #1
Pages: 400

Received: Received a copy from Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 10, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

It's almost a year since Gaby Winters watched her twin brother die. In the sunshine of a new town her body has healed, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn't help that every night in her dreams she fights and kills hell-beasts. And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who's been appearing in Gaby's dreams, he tells her things about her brother and her life that cannot be true, things that are dangerous. Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And who is Gaby? The truth lies in the shadows of her nightmares.

My Review:

Angel books, these books are done a lot lately and it's hard to find one that works for you. Shadows was an interesting story, and difficult to review without giving away too much of the story. So as much as I will try to keep things general there may be slight spoilers ahead.

Gaby Winters is getting her life back together after her brother died, she still deals with the grief and has difficulties talking about it, she was there with him and she lived through it. All of a sudden this guy shows up in town (a guy she has dreamed about) and seems to know all about her brother, but his stories don't match up to what she knows at all. All of a sudden Gaby's life is completely turned around and she doesn't know what to believe anymore.

The one thing about this book that kind of disappointed me was that throughout the entire book Gaby is confused about her life, and there isn't much of a resolution. I was thinking more would come from this book, but the way the story was written will have readers coming back to get more answers from the author. I know I am curious as to what will come next for Gaby. I do hope that a lot of things are answered in the next book and that we move on to something a little different.

I do think that Paula had a very interesting idea with this story, I loved the background of the Rephaim, you can tell that Paula really researched her angel mythology and religion behind it to really make this story work. I was interested in the history of the Rephaim and what their plan is (though that is still not entirely clear to me).

The characters in this really made the book, I loved the toughness of all of them, especially Gaby. She keeps people at arm's length, there was a good amount of humour with her sarcasm and her interactions with Rafa, as she tries to understand her past and Rafa tries to get used to the different Gaby. I had wished that Gaby found out more about herself and her past to really help bring the story together a little more.

Paula has written a fun angel story that leaves readers guessing and wanting more. I love the extensive history of the Rephaim that Paula details in this story and I hope to see more of this history and some more great action scenes in the future books.