Book Review: Every Day

Every Day by David Levithan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

David Levithan's YA fantasy-romance is a difficult book to review for me. I chose to read it because the concept really interested to me. With the topic of gender identity and sexuality so high on everyone's radar currently it seemed like a timely read. And on the surface, it deals with the topic well - there's never any doubts in A's mind as to whether what they are doing is incorrect or wrong - they just act in a way that seems natural to them. I found that incredibly refreshing, and can imagine that this book would be useful to anyone feeling in flux with their gender or sexuality.

The moral of the story seems to be acceptance and love - no matter your gender or sexuality. However the strength of Every Day also seems to be it's failing. I have noted a number of reviews criticising how judgemental A is when they are discussing the bodies that they are inhabiting. I didn't have a problem with that, A is a teenage narrator and as such I would expect certain flaws in their developing personality, and a judgement nature is certainly common in many teens. However I feel like this book tried to tackle too many teen issues in one short book and as such we were handed important issues like depression, substance abuse, obesity and illegal immigration with no real depth behind them. I understand that A only had one day in each of the bodies, but I still feel like they were glossed over a little, leaving it more like a checklist of problems teens deal with rather than story-shaping. So, what could have been an important book for teens exploring gender identity became a little bloated with superficial views on serious issues.

And so we get to the root of why I find this book so problematic - as a light, romantic read it was adequate, good even. I really admire Levithan's unique and magical slant on topical issues, and I still think the concept is a good one, however I feel it could have been handled a little better. The times the book did cover the main issues it did so with sensitivity and warmth, but throwing in the other issues for A to deal with means the book lacked overall emotional depth for me.

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Book Review: The Silent Corner

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dean Koontz's latest series gets off to a thrilling start, from the first moment to the last page I was hooked!

This is the first book I've read by Koontz, after dismissing his previous books as 'not my cup of tea', but I loved the synopsis I read, and I'm very glad I gave it a chance.

Jane Hawk is a formidable main character, often treading the line of good and bad. She's a complex, and often hard-nosed woman, but I never found it hard to empathise with her. Towards the end of the book, I was really rooting for her to be successful in her crusade.

The only thing I can criticise is the constant reminders of how beautiful Jane is supposed to be. Almost every male character in the book had an opinion on her outward appearance, often making comments about her physical form. I think with the current climate regarding male/female interaction in Hollywood, and life in general the unnecessary comments on Jane's appearance were misjudged and should have been removed.

But, overall I really enjoyed the book - the writing was sharp and thrilling and the story chugged along at an exciting pace, leaving me excited for the next instalment.

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Book Review: Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Fading light buttered the ridges until shadows licked them clean and they were lost to nightfall.”

Daniel Woodrell's bleak Ozarks tale spins a yarn of poverty, survival and family - it's a crime-thriller but with a twist, the story follows 16 year old Ree as she tries to track down her bail-skipping, meth-cooking father. Ree is a powerful heroine, she's morally good but manages to avoid staying into saccharine territory by keeping her rough edges.

The writing itself is a beautiful, but stark portrayal of rural poverty in America, and reads almost like poetry. It keeps a powerful pace and you really feel every disappointment and beating alongside Ree.

The vivid prose paints the scenery perfectly, a beautiful haven juxtaposed with the darkly delicious meat of the book, the lengths that the poverty stricken residents will go to to survive the harsh wilderness.

I devoured this book and a day, and could have easily flipped the pages back and read it all over again.

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