The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski - 355 Pgs
39) A book with bad reviews
I chose The Winner's Curse not because it has poor rating on Goodreads (it actually has an impressive 4.07 average). I chose this book for my bad review book because of a specific bad review I read. It included one of my favorite gifs of one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite shows of all time. Basically, the reader was expressing that she didn't get the positive reviews and all the fans AT ALL. And you know what? Every reason she listed was legitimate, I even agreed with them without reading the book. If I had found this book on the shelf at the library, I would have picked it up (because the cover is very interesting), read the synopsis, and promptly put it back. I NEVER would have read this book if not for this specific challenge. Let me tell you why.
At it's heart, this book is a romance not an adventure. Don't get me wrong, there are battles of wit and knifes, there are deaths, but all of it kind of hinges on the love of the characters. Or should I say, character, singular. I don't usually go for romances unless it's Austen and I avoid angst-y teenaged romances like the plague. I certainly avoid romances that involve a slave and a master, it's too sketchy territory for me, there are too many things (like Stalkholm syndrome) that can happen.
The book is the beginning of a series about Kestrel (daughter of a powerful wealthy general) and Arin (whose people were enslaved by Kestrels) and I suppose how they are going to move heaven and earth to be together. That's the synopsis I would snort at and get away from. The redeeming factor of this story and why I really enjoyed it (4/5 stars) is because Arin's people are finally rising up from enslavement from these petty people. I won't even pretend I was sad when they revolted and killed people, I was cheering them on. I'll continue reading this series because I care what happens to them.
Another thing I appreciated in this story is that the girl isn't the rough and tumble, best fighter around. She practices, but she isn't physically talented. She is, however, the smartest cookie around (weeeelllll... kinda). It was nice to see a dynamic change where the girl didn't have to be able to kill 30 men on her own with a sword but she could outsmart them. GIRLS ARE SMART. And that brings me to my next book...
Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein - 332 pgs
11) A book set in a different country
"It's like being in love, discovering your best friend"
This book took me on a roller coaster. I have to say, I almost didn't finish this book. A good portion of the first half is all about airplanes. Yeah, I discovered I don't really love airplanes. I DO love historical fiction set during the world wars though, so I stuck with it by clenching my jaw and skim reading the plane bits. Once it got good though, I couldn't put it down. It just took a LONG time for it to get good. I wanted so badly to give it 3 or 4 stars because the beginning was SO boring to me, but by the end, I just couldn't do it. I gave it 5 stars. Once we stopped talking about airplanes and actually started talking about people, I was entranced.
The story is about two friends who meet while supporting the Allied cause. The story takes place in the United Kingdom and France. It's told in a very interesting fashion though because Verity is captured and giving up information to the Gestapo, but she tells the story through the eyes of her friend Maddie and then it will switch to her talking about her capturers and her current life as a prisoner after being tortured.
I can't say why, but I didn't cry during this book. I was shocked, angry, even "over it", but I never cried. It is a sad book, at times it's completely heart-wrenching, but no tears were shed. I think this may be because I was too surprised and angry to cry (or maybe I'm heartless...no, it's not that because I cried too many times when I read A Thousand Splendid Suns).
I don't even get why I love this book, because all signs point to me not really enjoying it. That poetry though. I included a quote from the book that I felt fit best when I think back. I marked others to share, but once I reached the end, none of them seemed to tie it all together so well as the one I put up top.
If you choose to start this book I plead with you to finish it. I'm so happy I finished the story and hope people don't give up like I almost did because it truly is a beautiful story of friendship.
Okay then. Two more down, thirty-six to go!
Read on,
Jamie
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