Review: Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett

Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
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Acclaimed author Mindee Arnett thrusts readers into a beautiful, dangerous, and magical world in this stunningly epic and romantic fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah Raasch.

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.

Review: 

Onyx & Ivory wasn't originally on my to-read list; however, the more positive things I heard about it as well as Mindee Arnett,  the more I felt as if I needed to read it. I wanted to see for myself if it would become a favorite of mine as well. 

The result? I'm torn. 

On one side, I love the premise as well as the world Mindee introduced. It was interesting as well as unique, and there's so much room to expand upon it all. 

On the other side, however, the length of this book as well as the pacing brought down my enjoyment considerably. There were so many times at which this book was so incredibly hard to get through, so many times in which I felt like the scenes could've been edited down. The middle, in particular, was rough for me. I wanted more action, more excitement, and by the time that was finally delivered, the book was just about over. 

Onyx & Ivory alternates between Kate and Corwin's perspectives, and I believe that Mindee did a great job of making them sound different. I liked both Kate and Corwin. I loved how independent and fearless Kate was; however, I also liked that she wasn't afraid to rely on her friends to get her through tough times. The bonds she develops throughout this book are a highlight. Corwin, on the other hand, was a tough one to read at first. I wanted to despise him for happened to Kate, but at the same time, I couldn't. There was something likable about him, something that I found endearing. I could see why Kate had such a hard time shutting him out as well. Together, Kate and Corwin meshed well. They start off as best friends turned enemies, but they slowly morph back into the best friends/slightly more area. I loved the back and forth between them as well as how they wouldn't let the other alter what they stood for. Sure, they liked each other but they weren't letting that change who they were and I respected that completely. 

The plot primarily involves the brewing trouble found in Rime and the re-formation of the bond between Corwin and Kate. I found both areas to be interesting, and I especially enjoyed when more was revealed about the shady things occurring in Rime. There were several times in which I was left feeling completely shook, and I appreciated the direction Mindee seemed to be taking things. She brought it together quite well.  

Despite my love of the plot as well as the characters, the pacing is what ultimately brings this down to a three star read. I'm all for a slow delivery; however, when it's so slow it almost causes me to DNF a book, there's something wrong. Additionally, I wasn't the biggest fan of how there was FINALLY action and then BANG cliff hanger. It was such a buzz kill. 

3 stars 

Review: Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hiller 

Release Date: June 12, 2018 

Publisher: Minotaur Books, St Martin's Press

Genre: Adult, Thriller/Mystery 

Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

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This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it?

Review: 

Jar of Hearts was a fast read. The story was interesting enough to keep me hooked; however, there were a few things missing from it, in my opinion.

For one, I never thought the characters were incredibly well developed. It's told from two POVs - Geo and Kaiser - and while Jennifer did a great job of splitting up the POVs, I never felt a real connection. Emotion and feelings weren't overly present. I never got a good feeling of who they were, what they stood for, and honestly, neither one was all that likable or likable in that unlikable kind of way.

I felt that Geo was selfish, and while she was presented as being resourceful and put together, I never truly saw that. I also didn't like how everything just always fell into place for her. Yes, she struggled in prison, and yes, she faced events that no woman should have to face, but yet she always seemed to come out on top. She found protection easily in prison, she got the prison job she so desperately wanted....it was just a little too perfect.

Kaiser, on the other hand, was supposed to be the former nerdy boy turned hot cop, but I never found him all that swoon worthy. For one, I didn't like how nonchalant he was about being involved with a married woman, or how cold he was in certain aspects of his life. His hot-and-cold relationship with Geo also didn't interest me. The relationship and thus romance that evolved between them never seemed natural, as there wasn't much chemistry.

The plot in this reads like a CRIMINAL MINDS episode. There's a notorious serial killer called the Sweetbay Strangler; however, he always seems to invade the authorities just at the right moment. When the book first begins, the sweetbay strangler is identified as Calvin Harris. He's put away, bringing Geo, his former girlfriend, down with him for his first ever murder involving Geo's best friend Angela.

Jennifer slowly reveals the details of what happened that night. It's not overly obvious as to what Geo's role was, and given the note Geo receives from Calvin ("You're welcome"), it's clear there's more to it than either one admitted out loud. From the first chapter, I was intrigued...I wanted to know more about that night, what events lead up to the death, and throughout it's slowly pieced together. However, when the big moment is finally reveled, it felt slightly underwhelming. It wasn't incredibly twisty - I had somewhat predicted it earlier. It also didn't help that I never felt the bond between Angela and Geo. They never seemed like best friends; instead, they felt more like frenemies, as they both gave and they took wickedly from each other.

In addition to the Angela mystery, there's also series of new murders introduced. While the new murders did add a shock factor to the novel, they also didn't feel incredibly well done. Maybe I've watched too many crime shows and read too many thrillers, but there were so many times at which I could see the writing on the wall when it came to who was responsible, and the fact that the police, especially Kaiser, refused to see the whole picture, putting the blame on the easy target, drove me insane. Also, I didn't like how some parts of this novel were so unbelievable. For example, it didn't make sense that Kaiser - someone who was incredibly close to the victim AND the perpetuator - was the main guy on the case. Isn't that a case of conflict? Plus it was so easy to see that he was biased because of it...even his partner called him out on it... Additionally, there's a moment at the end that also seemed out there. I won't go too much into it, but once again, it was one of those moments were Geo seemingly faced no repercussions.

Overall, Jar of Hearts was more of a miss than a hit for me.

Did it keep me entertained? Yes. 

Do I think lovers of thrillers will enjoy it? Probably. 

But would it be my top recommendation? No. I feel that other upcoming thrillers (Baby Teeth for example) are better done.

2.5 stars

Review: The Calculus of Change by Jessie Hilb

Synopsis/Cover Image from Publisher's Website: 

A poignant and empowering teen novel of grief, unrequited love, and finding comfort in one's own skin.

Aden isn't looking for love in her senior year. She's much more focused on things like getting a solo gig at Ike's and keeping her brother from illegal herbal recreation. But when Tate walks into Calculus class wearing a yarmulke and a grin, Aden's heart is gone in an instant.

The two are swept up in a tantalizingly warm friendship, complete with long drives with epic soundtracks and deep talks about life, love, and spirituality. With Tate, Aden feels closer to her mom—and her mom's faith—than she has since her mother died years ago. Everyone else—even Aden's brother and her best friend—can see their connection, but does Tate?

Navigating uncertain romance and the crises of those she loves, Aden must decide how she chooses to see herself and how to honor her mom’s memory.

Review: 

Confession time: I'm a huge math nerd. When I was in high school and college, I would use math problems as a way to relax. There's just something so magical about the way numbers come together.

Therefore, when I discovered Jessie Hilb's THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE, a 2018 debut that involved a character that loved math (i.e. a girl after my own heart!), I knew I had to have it! Going into THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE I was expecting a sweet, cutesy romance; however, that's not exactly what I received. Instead, THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE was much more gritty, focusing on grief, change, complex relationships, student/teacher relationships, self image, and even teen pregnancy. In some ways, it worked well, and in other ways it didn't work at all.

At its heart, THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE is a coming-of-age. It primarily focus on Aden's growth over the course of her senior year as well as the numerous obstacles she faces and relationships she cultivates along the way.

When THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE starts, one this is clear: Aden hasn't been the same since her mother passed away. She feels incredibly responsible for her family's wellbeing, and she craves the guidance and love that only a mother figure can offer.

Aden's situation is heartbreaking. If there's one girl who needs a huge hug, it's definitely Aden. Over the course of the book, Aden struggles with balancing her responsibilities as well as making time for herself. She knows she doesn't have to be the one to take care of her family as well as her friends, but she does so regardless. She's the constant shoulder to cry on as well as the girl to help clean up after a mess. Over the course of the book, Aden begins to let go - she lets her brother and father clean up their own messes and lets her best friend make her own decisions. It's hard for her, but at the same time, its vital. I loved the growth that came with this. Aden slowly becomes stronger as well as more decisive, standing up for herself along the way.

I will say that I enjoyed the focus on relationships here. Jessie includes a variety of important ones: daughter and father, sister and brother, best friends, etc. It was interesting to see how each played a part in Aden's overall life, and I especially liked the introspection that came with each. I thought the unrequited love one was especially well done. It was incredibly bittersweet, and while I didn't like the love interest for the majority of the book, I think the relationship was important for the overall feel.

Now for the bad. As mentioned above, Jessie Hilb sets out to accomplish a lot in THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE, and while I appreciated her determination, the plot and character development suffered as a result. There was A LOT going on here: grief, change, complex relationships, student/teacher relationships, self image, and even teen pregnancy. My head was reeling at times, especially when it came to keeping each storyline straight. The storyline involving Aden's best friend lacked the most development, in my opinion. Honestly, I felt that it was introduced as a shock factor, and I hated that so little time was spent on the fall-out as well as the consequences. Also, I didn't like how some things were swept under the rug. Yes, they sometimes had a conclusion, but it was almost too easy of a conclusion in some respects.

Overall, THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE wasn't what I had expected. In some ways, THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE worked well and other ways it feel short, which was disappointing given the potential it contained.

So do I recommend it? Sort of. I think other YA books cover these topics better; however, I still think fans of gritty, emotionally charged YA may like this.

3 stars

The Calculus of Change is now out! 

Source: eARC provided by publisher 

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