Review: The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

Title: The Second Chance Year
Author: Melissa Wiesner
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: Dec 5, 2023
Publisher: Forever
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Synopsis:

Sadie Thatcher’s life has fallen apart in spectacular fashion. In one fell swoop, she managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend—all thanks to her big mouth. So when a fortune teller offers her one wish, Sadie jumps at the chance to redo her awful year. Deep down, she doesn’t believe magic will fix her life, but taking a leap of faith, Sadie makes her wish, opens her eyes, and . . . nothing has changed . And then, in perhaps her dumbest move yet, she kisses her brother’s best friend, Jacob.

When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she’s in her former apartment with her former boyfriend, and her former boss is expecting her at work. Checking the date, she realizes it’s January 1 . . . of last year .  As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to see the red flags she missed in her relationship and in her career. Plus, she keeps running into Jacob, and she can’t stop thinking about their kiss . . . the one he has no idea ever happened. Suddenly, Sadie begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.

Review:

This book definitely landed more in contemporary lit fic than it did in romance. While there is a romantic undertone, a lot of this book is our MC Sadie trying to figure out life.

I’m not generally a time travel girly or a holiday season reader, but I did like how this book really drove home the message that sometimes things happen for a reason. As Sadie starts her Second Chance Year, she starts to fold herself up and hide her true feelings in order to stop rocking the boat, because that’s what resulted in the Very Bad Year.

I’ll be honest, I liked her Second Chance Year. It might not have worked out the way she planned it, but she learned so much more through it and the finale felt all the more satisfying. It felt earned, even though she had to really go through it in order to get there.

The one thing I wish we had more of was Sadie actually talking through her feelings more, whether through her own narrative or a longer conversation with her friends/family. It would have made the bonds stronger and given us a bit more foundation for her relationships.

All in all, a solid read full of found family, chaos, and letting go of expectations.

TW: sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexism, alcohol consumption, racism; mentions death

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.01/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Forever in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Road to Ruin by Hana Lee

Title: Road to Ruin
Author: Hana Lee
Genre: Dystopian Fantasy Romance
Publication Date: May 14, 2024
Publisher: Saga Press
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Synopsis:

Jin-Lu has the most dangerous job in the wasteland. She’s a magebike courier, one of the few who venture outside the domed cities on motorcycles powered by magic. Every day, she braves the wasteland’s dangers—deadly storms, roving marauders, and territorial beasts—to deliver her wares.

Her most valuable cargo? A prince’s love letters addressed to Yi-Nereen, a princess desperate to escape the clutches of her abusive family and soon-to-be husband. Jin, desperately in love with both her and the prince, can’t refuse Yi-Nereen’s plea for help. The two of them flee across the wastes, pursued by Yi-Nereen’s furious father, her scheming betrothed, and a bounty hunter with mysterious powers.

A storm to end all storms is brewing and dark secrets about the heritability of magic are coming to light. Jin’s heart has led her into peril before, but this time she may not find her way back.

Review:

Five stars. Easy five stars. I feel like Road to Ruin came out of nowhere. I’d heard nothing about this book until this tour and I can’t imagine why. A fast-paced, diverse, dystopian fantasy full of magic, monsters, complex relationships, and love, this book is brimming with everything I love about early 2010 dystopian fantasies.

This book was a setup for the bigger series but still had it’s own full chaotic plot. We have Jin, the courier, and her sparktalent; Reena, a shieldcaster and a princess trying to escape a sexist and classist city; and Kadrin, the Talentless prince of what was viewed as a refuge for Talentless refugees. I loved all three of them as we get to know them through both the main plot and the letters Reena and Kadrin send each other. Full of action and betrayals, the main plot was a wild ride.

That being said, the setup was no less interesting. I enjoyed hearing about Reena’s research into the Talented versus the Talentless, the mana pools, and the overall world building we were given. It all felt so organic and effortless, and there was a wonderful balance between that and the main plot. I loved Screech, too, and how there was a peek into the lore of the world’s monsters, which I’m sure we’ll explore in the future.

This book also tackles some bigger issues, including race purity, sexism, classism, and environmentalism. Similar to the world building, it’s not in your face, but it’s also a huge part of what triggers the plot and the exploration of it was really well done.

I will say, if you were a fan of the 2010s dystopian craze, this book will definitely be for you. This gave me that buzzy reader feeling I’ve been chasing for the last while and I love it! This book isn’t even out yet and I’m now anticipating it’s sequel!

TW: death, murder, blood, injury detail, blood, violence, alcohol consumption, kidnapping, sexism, classism; mentions death of a parent, incest

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.72/5

eARC and FC gifted via Colored Pages Book Tours by Saga Press via Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Takedown by Lily Chu

Title: The Takedown
Author: Lily Chu
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
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Synopsis:

For Dee Kwan, every day is the perfect day. No, really. She has a house she loves, a job she adores, and a ridiculously attractive “nemesis” who never seems to mind when she wins their favorite online game. How can life possibly get better? (It can’t, obviously. It can only get much, much worse.)

Soon Dee is forced to share her adorably cozy home with her parents and prickly estranged grandmother. Then she’s tossed into the deep end, tasked with cleaning up a scandal for intimidatingly chic luxury fashion firm Celeste. If that weren’t enough, she discovers her hot-nemesis works there, too…and Teddy is nothing like the man she thought she knew.

Before she can cry foul, Teddy comes clean about his double life: he’s the heir to the CEO and he needs her help to make Celeste a better place—for everyone. But that means taking down the old guard—including his father—intent on standing in their way. Now in the center of a dizzying corporate coup, Dee is forced to decide whether she’s ready to stop watching the world through rose-colored glasses and instead face the truth: about herself, about her feelings for Teddy, and about what she’s willing to do to truly make a difference.

Review:

This book was relatable to the point it felt like a personal attack, and I both resent being called out and also applaud Lily Chu for it.

Dee is a Diversity and Inclusion consultant, Teddy is the heir of a huge fashion business, and chaos ensues when Teddy’s family business is thrust in the spotlight for terrible D&I practices (in that there wasn’t really any D&I). The main plot was hard to get through – the micro-agressions, white privilege, and outright racism – it was a wild storm. However, so many great conversations came out of it and it was a huge undertaking on Chu’s part to write about and shine a light on some of these issues.

The personal attack was Dee’s family. The way they sweep everything under a facade of toxic positivity and general avoidance. It was a bit too real at times, and I commend Chu for really hitting me where it hurts. So much of my family was reflected in this book and it was an oof. Dee’s growth through it was amazing, even though it takes her a while to fully settle into it (relatable, as well).

While I liked Dee, I loved Teddy. He was my favourite part of the story. Lily Chu always makes her men so real and outside of the conventional “manly man” template. Teddy is a fashion designer who loves art and isn’t intimidated by a smart woman and he’s almost entirely green flags and I love him for it. He and Dee really click and seeing their relationship with each other develop and grow was a lot of fun, despite the growing pains.

The book was a ride and while I definitely didn’t like confronting some of my own issues as I read it, a book where you see yourself reflected and your experiences shared is really a testament to Chu’s ability to write real and relatable characters. That ending also was so vindicating, my goodness!

Rep: biracial MCs, bisexual secondary character

TW: toxic positivity, biphobia, racism, micro-aggressions, racial slurs, bullying, sexism; mentions fatphobia, cancer, death of a parent

eARC gifted via Colored Pages Book Tours by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: How You Get The Girl by Anita Kelly

Title: How You Get The Girl [Love & Other Disasters #3]
Author: Anita Kelly
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: Feb 13, 2024
Publisher: Forever
GoodReads

Synopsis:

When smart-mouthed Vanessa Lerner joins the high school basketball team Julie Parker coaches, Julie’s ready for the challenge. What she’s not ready for is Vanessa’s new foster parent, Elle Cochrane—former University of Tennessee basketball star. While star-struck at first, soon Julie persuades Elle to step into the unfilled position of assistant coach for the year.
 
Even though Elle has stayed out of the basketball world since an injury ended her short-lived WNBA career, the gig might be a way to become closer to Vanessa—and to spend more time with Julie, who makes Elle laugh. As the coaches grow closer, Elle has a hard time understanding how Julie is single. When Julie reveals her lifelong insecurity about dating and how she wishes it was more like sports—being able to practice first—it sparks an intriguing idea. While Elle still doubts her abilities as a basketball coach, helping Julie figure out dating is definitely something she can do. But as the basketball season progresses, and lines grow increasingly blurred, Julie and Elle must decide to join the game—or retreat to the sidelines.

Review:

This is my first Anita Kelly book and it was okay. I want to say it was amazing, but unfortunately it just didn’t click right with me, which is hugely disappointing since it had everything I basically like (outside of the main trope, which didn’t click as the main trope until I was in it).

Immediately, I got hooked on the writing. The story started off strong but their brains being abuzz over one another immediately turned me off. I appreciated both of their respect for one another – green flag characters all around – but the fangirly-ness of it all was not for me (the whole love arc takes place across 2 months only).

Then there was the practice dating. I’m not usually a practice dating kind of person, the trope is very hit or miss for me, and this time around it was a miss. The priorities felt off and some of it felt way too fast, but again that might be a me problem.

I did like the mental health discussion, the chats about feeling behind because of a lack of dating (and possibly being aro/ace/demi), and the feeling of being mildly directionless, but for some reason it just didn’t gel with me like these discussions usually would (cause hi, directionless, mentally ill demi here). I did love the reassurance that no label is really needed though, that was very gratifying. Also, the MC’s relationships were also really well developed (though maybe the large cast was part of why I didn’t love it??). Both MCs have full lives – family who they love and interact with, friends who pop in and help them through problems – and I loved that they had that, but it was a lot of take in. Maybe if I’d read the first two books I would have had a better handle on all the secondary characters.

Like I said, the writing was good, but something just didn’t click for me and I’m as disappointed by that as you probably are. Might give their other books a try one day, but this was just okay for me.

Rep: sapphic, MC with depression and chronic migraines, MC questioning

TW: sexual content; mentions drug abuse, addiction, parental neglect

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 2/5
Overall: 3/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.27/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Forever via Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

Title: The Emperor and the Endless Palace
Author: Justinian Huang
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance
Publication Date: Mar 26, 2024
Publisher: Mira
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Synopsis:

In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor — but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex and intrigue.

In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead.

And in present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before.

Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them.

As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love—a power that transcends time itself…but one that might consume them both.

An unpredictable roller coaster of a debut novel, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a genre-bending romantic thriller that challenges everything we think we know about true love.

Review:

Much more sex than I had expected, but this was a fantastic reimagining of the Cut Sleeve story (featuring classic characters like Huang Jiulang and Dong Xian, as well as a third present voice) that takes you across centuries.

Told from three perspectives, we see the characters journey through three reincarnations with you guessing a bit on who’s who and why. With masterful storytelling, the narrative is addictive and heady, fitting the toxicity and greediness of the romances well.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that this story was fast-paced, full of both budding romance and toxic love, a little mysterious, and a bit magical. Some character arcs surprised and dazzled me, while others felt like a betrayal (in the best kinds of ways). This book didn’t feel like a debut, especially because of the writing. The Emperor and the Endless Palace is so well-crafted, and the stories so intricately tied to each other, that you won’t want to look away!

TW: sexual content, death, injury detail, alcohol consumption, infidelity, sexual assault, drug use, drug abuse, homophobia, animal death (not dog), ableism; mentions rape, death of a parent, cancer, vomit

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.23/5

eBook gifted via Edelweiss by MIRA via HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Red Tigress by Amélie Wen Zhao

Title: Red Tigress [Blood Heir Trilogy #2]
Author: Amélie Wen Zhao
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: Mar 2, 2021
Publisher: Delacorte Press
GoodReads

Synopsis:

Ana Mikhailov is the only surviving member of the royal family of Cyrilia. She has no army, no title, and no allies, and now she must find a way to take back the throne or risk the brutal retribution of the empress. Morganya is determined to establish a new world order on the spilled blood of non-Affinites. Ana is certain that Morganya won’t stop until she kills them all.

Ana’s only chance at navigating the dangerous world of her homeland means partnering with Ramson Quicktongue again. But the cunning crime lord has schemes of his own. For Ana to find an army, they must cross the Whitewaves to the impenetrable stone forts of Bregon. Only, no one can be certain what they will find there.

A dark power has risen. Will revolution bring peace–or will it only paint the streets in more blood.

Review:

I liked this a lot more than book 1. I still found some things were lacking in terms of characters learning their dang lesson (not me screaming at them to stop going into danger alone every other chapter), but I found I really enjoyed Brigon and getting into the groove of the found family we made in Blood Heir.

I found Linn gave Toph vibes, and Sorcha gave Azula energy. Both characters were great additions to the cast, I loved seeing more of Linn after her introduction at the end of Blood Heir. I did find Linn’s devotion to Ana a bit strong for what transpired in Blood Heir, but past that, she’s a strong character. I didn’t think I’d read the final installment halfway through, but now I’m so curious about our three MCs as we reach the finale of the series.

This installment had a better and stronger climax than Blood Heir, and I found myself rooting for the characters more than rubbing my temples in frustration. Definitely didn’t suffer from second book syndrome! I’m also glad that we tied up some storylines in this one, thus setting the stage for Crimson Reign.

All in all, a strong sequel, and a great setup for the finale of the series! I’m really loving the crew we’ve put together and I’m excited to see how their story ends.

TW: blood, murder, injury detail, torture, alcohol consumption, violence, child abuse, fire/fire injury, death; mentions infidelity, death of a parent, death of a child, kidnapping

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 3/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 3/5
Overall: 3/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.94/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Delacorte Press via Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Title: Descendant of the Crane
Author: Joan He
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Publication Date: April 9, 2019
Publisher: Roaring Brook
GoodReads

Synopsis:

TREASON

For princess Hesina of Yan, the palace is her home, but her father is her world. He taught her how to defend against the corruption and excesses of the old kings, before revolutionaries purged them and their seers and established the dynasty anew.

Before he died, he was supposed to teach her how to rule.

TRIAL

The imperial doctors say the king died a natural death, but Hesina has reason to believe he was murdered. She is determined to uncover the truth and bring the assassin to justice.

TRUTH

But in a broken system, ideals can kill. As the investigation quickly spins out of Hesina’s control, she realizes that no one is innocent. Not the heroes in history, or the father she thought she knew. More blood will spill if she doesn’t rein in the trial soon―her people’s, her family’s, and even her own.

Review:

What an absolutely stunning book. I read this back in 2019 as an eARC, but I didn’t have the words at the time to properly express how amazing I found this book, even more so today than I did back then.

At its heart, Descendant of the Crane is a book about morality. We all want to do the right thing, we all want to believe in the systems that have been put in place, and we all want to hope that the people around us are true, faithful, and honest. This book breaks down the concept of morality and truth and makes Hesina, our MC, question what is real and what is a veneer over a broken system.

What I love most about this book is that it showed the truth of humanity – no matter your position, your intentions, or your heart, humans are fallible and we make mistakes. Hesina makes choices that she believes are right and will lead her to the truth, but the brokenness of the system results in consequence after consequence, loss after loss. And she owns up to them, which is so rare to see, but you can see her taking accountability and bearing the weight of the losses on her shoulder.

The twist at the end still haunts me and I wish that we could’ve gotten a sequel for this one. Alas, not in the cards, but where it ends, there’s hope for everyone left and I loved the potential we’re left with.

Descendant of the Crane remains a favourite for me, and I definitely recommend picking this one up. I think it’ll surprise you.

TW: death, grief, torture, violence, blood, injury detail, genocide, slavery, racism (of a magical group of people); mentions suicide, war, vomit

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.62/5

eARC gifted by Joan He’s previous problematic publisher (Albert Whitman & Company), so I won’t be thanking them, but acknowledging the gifted copy.

Review: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

Title: Fathomfolk [Drowned World #1]
Author: Eliza Chan
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publication Date: Feb 27, 2024
Publisher: Orbit
GoodReads

Synopsis:

Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears.
 
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below.
 
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city.
 
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira’s softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse.
 
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
 
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.

Review:

Not my first ever gifted book from Orbit being an absolute dud. I have never been so disappointed by an anticipated release. The fact that this is categorised as adult fantasy is criminal.

The world building in Fathomfolk is immaculate – from the political systems, to the Fathomfolk races, to the hierarchal classes within their military and government, to the machinations in the background, to their history and lore – everything is so detailed and well established that you feel like you’ve just popped into this fantastically flawed world. It mirrors ours so well in its discourse around politics, immigration, history, and activism. The fact that this was so well built is a testament to Eliza Chan’s skills.

This skill bled into her characters, to an extent. I appreciated seeing Mira as a biracial half-siren, half-human struggle between worlds. Not human enough to be respected by humans, not Fathomfolk enough to be respected by Fathomfolk. It vibed well with real feelings that mixed people often have to contend with.

Serena was also a very interesting character, as she has her own plans and machinations in the background as she pulled strings and threads together to fulfill her personal goals.

And then there was Nami. Fricking Nami. She’s young and brash and naive, and just happens to be the catalyst to like half the problems in this book. I really wish Nami would just not. As Kai’s younger sister, she’s always been very head strong, up in her righteous anger, and ready for action, and despite mistake after mistake, she never learns to sit down and think critically about anything before acting and it literally kills people. I was so frustrated with her from the start, and it only got worse over time. I feel like there’s a statement somewhere in there about young and impressionable people jumping head first into activism without all the facts, but I’m not even going to look that deep. If that was the lesson I was supposed to take away from this book, then it should’ve been a YA novel.

The fact that half of this book’s plot is people not realizing that their actions have consequences, that knocking down one domino takes out the whole lot, is wild to me. Like that’s not plot, that’s chaos. The only standout to me is the Kai is an angel amongst hellions. He was too good for everyone else in this book.

I’m not even going to touch the end of this book with a ten-foot pole. Thank you, next.

All in all, an absolute disappointment. The setup was strong, but this was a miss for me.

TW: racism (speci-ism?), classism, torture, death, murder, blood, injury detail, drug abuse, addiction, sexism; mentions fetishization, sexual assault

Plot: 1/5
Characters: 2/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 1/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.41/5

Finished copy gifted by Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan

Title: Women of Good Fortune
Author: Sophie Wan
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2024
Publisher: Graydon House
GoodReads

Synopsis:

Lulu has always been taught that money is the ticket to a good life. So, when Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor surprises her with a proposal, the only acceptable answer is yes, even if the voice inside her head is saying no. His family’s fortune would solve all her parents’ financial woes, but Lulu isn’t in love or ready for marriage.

The only people she can confide in are her two best friends: career-minded Rina, who is tired of being passed over for promotion as her biological clock ticks away; and Jane, a sharp-tongued, luxury-chasing housewife desperate to divorce her husband and trade up. Each of them desires something different: freedom, time, beauty. None of them can get it without money.

Lulu’s wedding is their golden opportunity. The social event of the season, it means more than enough cash gifts to transform the women’s lives. To steal the money on the big day, all they’ll need is a trustworthy crew and a brilliant plan. But as the plot grows increasingly complicated and relationships are caught in the cross fire, the women are forced to face that having it all might come at a steep price…

Review:

Heisty, reflective, and chaotic, Women of Good Fortune is a fast-paced read that explores familial expectations and the weight the next generation carries because of them.

Examining beauty standards, the impact of the one child rule, societal and familial standards for both men and women, and relationships (both with friends and love), I was surprised by the depth we got for all these characters. Of course, we couldn’t fully dive into everything, but the large cast really helped to build this image of Chinese society and everything that comes with it. All the rot under the glittering facade.

A big focus is the heist and the three MC’s friendship. We have Lulu, the bride-to-be who’s always been trapped by her family’s guilt for letting her (the second child and daughter) live; Jane, who’s always been told her face was nothing pretty and is married to a man who originally wedded her for her apartment; and Rina, a workaholic who’s afraid to let go of control. They have been friends for years, and want to use the heist to take back the reins of their lives.

I loved the exploration of their friendship along with their personal relationships – with their parents, their partners, and other people in their lives. The development of everything came together so well at the end that I was honestly a bit surprised. There are some relationships that I felt like needed a bit more page-time and a bit more work to get to where it all stands at the end, but overall, I was really happy with this chaotic ride of a story.

Women of Good Fortune is really great at providing an introduction to how Chinese society looks and feels, and shows that gilded cages are still cages. All in all, definitely a strong read and a solid debut from Sophie Wan!

TW: body shaming, emotional abuse, sexism, burnout, classism, misogyny, vomit, alcohol; mentions abandonment

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.98/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Graydon House via HarperCollins Canada.

Review: Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle

Title: Conditions of a Heart
Author: Bethany Mangle
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: Feb 20, 2024
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
GoodReads

Synopsis:

Brynn Kwan is desperate for her high school persona to be real. That Brynn is head of the yearbook committee, the favorite for prom queen, and definitely not crumbling from a secret disability that’s rapidly wearing her down. If no one knows the truth about her condition, Brynn doesn’t have to worry about the pitying looks or accusations of being a faker that already destroyed her childhood friendships. She’s even willing to let go of her four-year relationship with her first love, Oliver, rather than reveal that a necessary surgery was the reason she ignored his existence for the entire summer.

But after Brynn tries to break up a fight at a pep rally and winds up barred from all her clubs and senior prom, she has nothing left to prop up her illusion of being just like everyone else. During a week-long suspension from school, she realizes that she doesn’t quite recognize the face in the mirror—and it’s not because of her black eye from the fight. With a healthy sister who simply doesn’t understand and a confused ex-boyfriend who won’t just take a hint and go away like a normal human being , Brynn begins to wonder if it’s possible to reinvent her world by being the person she thought no one herself.

Review:

I want to just put a GIF of Captain Holt saying, “Pain,” and end my review there, but this book deserves so much more so I’m going to try to put all my feelings on paper (screen?).

This book resonated with me on another and put so many feelings into words. I loved how the book sets up situations to build empathy in its readers. Even if you can’t relate to the core of Brynn’s feelings, the author makes it easy for people to understand why she’s frustrated, why she’s tired, and why things are just HARD. It was a phenomenal break down of both her emotions, her relationships, and her disabilities and needs.

If you have a disability, invisible or otherwise, I feel like you’d be able to relate so well to Brynn. From her pushing herself through pain, to her negotiating with her body to just do-one-more-thing-dang-it, to her feeling trapped beneath the weight of everyone’s hovering and the idea that being chronically ill is pitiable and unimaginable. I loved that the author canonically included COVID-19 into the story to truly show that the world left us behind. Brynn feels so much throughout the story and Conditions of a Heart is truly a masterclass in turning feelings into words. I sobbed so much, yet also laughed a lot. Sometimes both at the same time which had be choking on my joy, which felt apt for this book.

I want to also shoutout the familial relationships that were addressed throughout the story, the idea that we need to be more than our disabilities to ourselves, but also to our family. The conversations they have are so important and I loved that it showed that growth is messy and full of errors and missteps, but putting in the effort shows that you’re listening and learning. This made me so happy, and it was definitely a highlight of the story.

I also loved the end. While we get a nice HEA for Brynn, there are still things left open-ended. I think this worked well because it was truly showing that there’s always more work to be done as people with disabilities continue to fight to be heard, seen, and respected. It was realistic and didn’t try to paint the world with rose-coloured lenses.

In the end, I have so many feelings around this book, and so much love for Bethany Mangle and the characters she created. Please just read it and scream unintelligibly at me as you do!

Note: As an aside, as I feel like it’s more of an editing issue than a writer issue – the final copy I read had some typos (words missing, weird turned around words), as well as inconsistencies (the whole issue with her car kept confusing me, her eating whatever off the street with her problems was weird, along with a couple other spots), which didn’t ruin the book for me (obviously), but did make me question the editor for a sec. So this isn’t the perfect book, but it’s also perfect, so read it.

Rep: MC with hEDS, MCAS, and POTS, father with hEDS

TW: violence, injury detail, medical content, discussions around ableism and classism; mentions racism, panphobia, biphobia

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.49/5

Finished copy gifted via Colored Pages Book Tours by Simon Teen in exchange for an honest review.