Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West – 4.5 stars
I definitely laughed out loud while reading this book. And I connected with so much of what West was saying, it wasn’t even funny. I really loved that West didn’t shy away from hard hitting topics and that she interspersed her own experiences throughout the essays.
West’s writing is smart, funny, and unapologetically raw. I felt like this collection of essays was what I was hoping How to Be a Woman would be. I realize that these are two completely different women with different life stories, but I just felt like West wrote about topics such as abortion, marriage, and feminism more maturely.
A lot of what Lindy wrote about made me sit back and reflect. I just really enjoyed this and am glad that I picked it up.
The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner – 3 stars
This isn’t the absolute worst thing I’ve ever read, but it was really predictable.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of any of the characters and really didn’t feel compelled to care about them. The writing wasn’t the best, either. I’m not quite sure I would call this a psychological thriller, but I’m not sure what I would classify it as, either.
However, it was a quick read and though it was predictable and I didn’t really care for the characters, I still did enjoy reading the story unfold. I think it was partially because I wanted to see if I was right or not.
So yeah. I’m glad I didn’t pay for this since I got it through Kindle First. But still, it was a quick, fun read.
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard – 4 stars
There were times where I was a little confused and had a hard time keeping track of some of the characters. I could keep track of the four main characters, but some of the side characters really started to blend together. And the world-building could have been a little bit stronger, but it wasn’t the worst world-building I’ve ever read.
I absolutely adore the friendship between Safi and Iseult. Give me all the powerful female friendships, please. I loved some of the hijinks that Safi and Iseult got into. You could tell that they really cared for each other and where there for each other no matter what. Just. Yes.
And I didn’t completely hate the romance that brews between two of the characters. I like that it didn’t become the main plotline once it was established.
I am so curious to see how the rest of the series plays out!
Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay – 4.5 stars
My favorite essays were definitely the ones that addressed rape and rape culture. And I truly appreciate that Gay addressed racism, sexism, and culture.
My least favorite essay was about the Scrabble competitions that Gay competed in. It’s not to say that this essay wasn’t enjoyable. I guess I just didn’t quite understand where it came into play with the overall feel of the book.
I really thought that Gay blended her own personal experiences well with the more critical aspects of her essays.
It is really clear that Gay is an intelligent woman. There were times that I laughed. There were times that I cried. And there were time that I had to take several seats and reflect on not only today’s society but my worldview.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon – 3 stars
I wasn’t the biggest fan of how Maddy’s disease was handled in this book. I cannot speak for others, but I personally saw a lot wrong with the entire situation. Especially when it comes to Maddy’s mom (who is a doctor) and Carla (who is a nurse). I can only speak from a nurse’s perspective, but I personally wouldn’t just take on an assignment for home health based on what the parent tells me, even if the parent is a doctor. I would want some diagnostic proof given to me either by the agency that I work for or the child’s doctor. I don’t know. It just bothered me that Carla just went a long with everything.
And I thought there was a missed opportunity to discuss what was wrong with Maddy’s mom. Munchausen by proxy is a real disease and it would have been interesting if that was explored more.
I’m still trying to figure out how Maddy, as a teenager, had a credit card and was able to afford tickets to Hawaii. I sure as hell couldn’t. And I guess part of it may be that her family was wealthy. But still. She doesn’t have a job or any credit lines, so getting a credit card should have been nearly impossible.
There is more I could say, but I think that there are enough other reviews out there that I don’t know what I could add. Especially since I am an able-bodied person and therefore can only say so much with regards to the premise of the book.
Overall, this was definitely a quick, fun read. Despite my problems, I did enjoy Nicola Yoon’s writing and look forward to read The Sun Is Also A Star.
NerdyNurseDaria 