Recently Read: This Darkness Mine

Author: Mindy McGinnis
Genre: Young Adult/Thriller
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 376
Rating: 3.5/5

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Also by this author:
The Female of the Species  

Sasha Stone is the perfect girl. She's a gifted clarinet player destined to play for a top college, a straight A student, and has a perfectly polite boyfriend. But a bad-boy named Issac seems to have control of her heart, even more-so than she does. Sasha learns that before birth, she had a twin sister who was never born, but her sister may have found a way to get what, and who, she wants through Sasha. 

McGinnis is a brilliant writer. Her writing is so captivating and intense, and even though her stories are uncomfortable at times, I just can't look away. The Female of the Species really shocked and consumed me when I read it, and I knew I had to read more from McGinnis after finishing that one. I picked this one up at my library as soon as I saw it, and flew through it.

McGinnis is brilliant at writing unhinged characters. Her characters are so unlike anything else in YA. I love a well-done unreliable narrator, and McGinnis has the best in YA. This story is weird, mysterious, shocking, and at times uncomfortable, but McGinnis' story-telling makes it impossible to look away. I really didn't know where this story was headed and was surprised at every twist-and-turn. 

While I really enjoyed being immersed in this book, I don't think it was as strong of a novel as The Female of the Species. To me, The Female of the Species read like a very sophisticated literary fiction, and it dealt with themes and ideas that were vast and complex. This one read more like a typical YA thriller, but with a brilliantly well-done main character. I thought the first half of the book was a lot stronger than the second half, but I was still completely hooked the whole way through. 

McGinnis has made her way on to my 'auto-read' list, and I have picked up another one of her books since finishing this one. If you are looking for a book that will completely absorb you, or get you out of a slump, I recommend checking out McGinnis' works. What she's doing feels unique, and she's very good at what she does.  

If you have any recommendations for YA books with unreliable narrators, please let me know! 

2017 End of the Year Survey!

Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 48
Number of Re-Reads: 5 

Survey by The Perpetual Page Turner

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2017?- My Top Three: 

Review 

This was such a wild ride. I was gripped by this book and couldn't stop reading 

or look away. This is a must read.

Review

This was so whimsical and dark. In the same vein as Alice and Wonderland and Peter Pan.

Loved how the complex idea of the transition from childhood to adulthood was portrayed. 

Review

This is an amazing YA contemporary. Loved the characters and the themes; this 

is one I will be revisiting in the future. 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Meh. 

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

This one had me on the edge of my seat, and caught me off guard many times.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I recommend Sarah Waters a lot this year. Even though I have only read one of her works (Fingersmith, above) I am confident that all of her works are worth recommending. 

 5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?

I didn't actually start any new series this year! I really concentrated on stand-alones as I always felt too busy to get sucked into a series. 

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?

Shirley Jackson!  I can't wait to read more from her in the near future.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Science based nonfiction is way out of my comfort zone, but I loved this!

The audiobook was a great experience. 

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

So addicting! 

 9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?

11. Most memorable character of 2017?

Alex from The Female of the Species. She's so complex and different from usual YA characters.  

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?

I did A LOT of thinking about this reread this year. Teaching and reading this novel 

was a great experience this year. This book still holds up to the test of time. 

I spent A LOT of time thinking about this one and how I felt about it. I'm still
not all that sure. Read my review for more details. 

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? 

I owned this one for years (and moved it to an apartment and then back home) 

before finally picking it up this year. 

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?

Shortest- The novella version of Flowers for Algernon

Longest 

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Loved the romances in both of these novels. 

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Loved the relationship between Sal and his dad. 

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

There was SO much hype around this one this summer that I had to pick

it up. Glad I did!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?

This year's reread has lead to discover that Atticus Finch is my dream man. 

23. Best 2017 debut you read?

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Review

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

My soul seems to have survived this year intact! I didn't read anything too emotional this year. 

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

I was so angry for many of the characters in this book. 

Blog and Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?

This was not a consistent year for me in regards to both blogging myself and reading other blogs. That being said, here are a few blogs that I made a conscious effort to keep up with this year. 

Jess @ Jessticulates

Emily @ Mixed Margins

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?

Either my review of The Sun is Also a Star (and thoughts on fate) or The Female of the Species

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

Always love continuing my Poetry Spotlight and Literary Look posts. 

Edna St. Vincent Millay Poetry Spotlight

4. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Literary Look: Modernism

5. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

This year I participated in the Diversity Bingo challenge with the goal to complete as many squares as possible. Here's my three update posts:  

Update 1

Update 2

Update 3

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?

Becky Albertaili's and Adam Silvera's joint project What If It's Us  looks like a lot of fun. 

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Lots of buzz about this one already.

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

Actually need more time to research this one. I'm out of the loop on 2017 series. I need to catch up. 

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?

Just manage to read while also getting hired for and then actually teaching my first year as a teacher! Wish me luck! 

See my 2014 survey answers 

See my 2015 survey answers

Leave me the link to your survey if you filled one out! 

Recently Read: The Upside of Unrequited

Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Page Count: 336
Publication Date: 2017
Rating: 4/5

Add on Goodreads

Also by Becky Albertalli:
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda 

Molly has had twenty-six crushes and zero boyfriends. Her twin sister has no problem talking to crushes and is determined to find Molly a boyfriend. When Molly's sister Cassie falls head-over-heels for a new girl named Mina, Mina's friend Will seems to be the perfect candidate for Molly's first boyfriend, except maybe he isn't, and her nerdy but sweet co-worker Reid is. 

I really loved Simon so of course I was interested in checking out Albertalli's newest release. While I preferred Simon over this one, I still really enjoyed this one. Albertalli's humor is spot on, and she seamlessly incorporates diversity into her works.

I loved the natural diversity in this novel. While most of the characters were diverse, it never felt like any of the characters existed just to be diverse. Molly and Cassie have two moms and were born via invetro; one of their moms is African American; Cassie is gay; Molly is overweight; both are Jewish; and there is a pansexual character. All of these diverse elements are so natural to the story and handled perfectly. I particularly enjoyed the way that Molly's weight was handled as it is a part of who she is, but she never once mentions loosing weight or hating her weight. She is who she is, and she loves who she is. So refreshing! 

I found Molly's narration to be very natural. It really felt like a seventeen year old girl was narrating this story, which is both good and bad. It always takes me a minute to adjust to teenager thinking again when I read a YA book that is authentically teenager-ish, but once I adjusted, I really enjoyed it. Molly is funny and honest, and her views on love and romance are authentic. 

The characters are great. Reid was a sweetheart and a great YA male love interest. He was unique and authentically and apologetically himself. This novel dealt with a lot of themes central to YA, romantic love, sibling relationship, body image, and handling change. 

This is a YA novel that I'm really glad exists. Although it doesn't quite reflect my experience as a teenager, I know it reflects a teenage experience that is not uncommon, but that is not commonly represented in YA fiction. I will be picking up whatever Albertalli comes out with in the future; she has earned a seat on my list of favorite YA contemporary authors. 

Top Ten Tuesday: My 2017 Favorites So Far

So far this year I have read twenty-five books, which of course, isn't as many as I had hoped to read at the half-way point of the year, but I don't think I will ever read as many books as I would like to in a year. Here are my favorite books I've read in 2017 (so far.) 

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

Click the book title to read my review

1. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I loved all of the characters in this book and couldn't put it down! This is a book I will be rereading in the future many times. 

2. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

I'm a sucker for any book that deals with the idea of fate, and this novel is so well crafted and heartfelt. The romance is adorable and heart wrenching. I laughed, I cried, and I thought about for days after finishing it. 

3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This book lived up to the hype for me. All of the characters were so well developed, even the smallest of side characters, and the message so important and well delivered. This book entertained and delivered a strong message and sense of hope. I'm hoping we will see more YA books getting political and touching on current social issues, as young people care about those things too, and have the power to make quite the impact on our society, sometimes they just need to be reminded that they have that power. 

4. The Inexplicable Logic of my Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I picked this one up on a whim as I didn't even know it existed and I'm so glad I did. I love Saenz's writing and the way he crafts characters. This was another book I had a hard time putting down. 

5. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

This book had me on the edge of my seat for the whole five hundred pages! I loved the twists and turns and the historical setting. 

6. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (Review coming tomorrow) 

This was about the cutest book I've ever read! I loved both Dimple and Rishi and their passions for computer tech and art respectively. 

Surprisingly, five out of the six of my favorite novels of the year are YA contemporaries, a genre I don't often read. Perhaps that means I should read it more often! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Young Adult New Releases I'm Looking Forward To

I haven't done a Top Ten Tuesday in quite a while, but I'm back today with some new releases I'm looking forward to! This year has had a lot of great new releases already that I need to catch up on, but here's a look at what's coming up that I'm excited about.

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

Book Titles Link to Goodreads

Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index by Julie Israel  

Release Date: May 30

This YA contemporary sounds fun and poignant. It puts me in mind of Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere, which makes me very interested. 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon 

Release Date: May 30

I know a lot of people are anticipating this YA contemporary with two Indian-American main characters just as much as I am. 

 Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Release Date: June 1

I enjoyed Fowley-Doyle's debut The Accident Season, and this one seems to have a similar magical-realism atmosphere to it.  

The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 

Release Date: June 27

This looks like a really entertaining historical fiction read! The early reviews have been pretty good. 

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz

Release Date: July 25

I'm always interested in books that center around art! 

Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert 

Release Date: August 8

I haven't read very many contemporaries with female LGBTQ characters, so this one is high on my list. 

Wicked Like Wildfire by Lana Popovic  

Release Date: August 15

The first book in a duelology about a family where the women can manipulate beauty. 

Before she Ignites, Jodi Meadows

Release Date: September 12

This fantasy series sounds quite interesting. The main character seems to have OCD and anxiety, and there is dragons. Sounds great to me. 

Odd and True by Cat Winters

Release Date: September 12

I love Cat Winters and need to get caught up on her books before this one comes out. Her books always have a supernatural element that mixes perfectly with a historical fiction setting.

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater 

Release Date: October 10 

And of course I am looking forward to Stiefvater's newest release. Another author I need to catch up on the back-log of! 

Link me to your post so I can add even more books to my TBR!