Review: Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins

WEDNESDAY REVIEWS ARE BACK! Didja miss me? 'Course you did.

This week's book is the THIRD AND FINAL BOOK in the Rebel Belle series, so if you haven't read the first two...well, this is your final chance to leave. (Alternatively, I also reviewed the first two here and here, so you can check those out if you've read either of those.)

Like the previous instalment, I read this book promptly. In five hours. (I may not have started with that intention, and yet, here we are.) Hawkins' writing was on point, as per usual. Her writing is smooth and simple, which makes for a quick and satisfying read. She doesn't overcomplicate anything, plot or otherwise, which I think benefits the reach of her audience.

Overall, the ending--while predictable--was decent. I feel like it wrapped up the story quite well, bringing it full circle in a way that I always appreciate, because it can often be hard to do without coming off as super hella cheesy. So A+, Hawkins. You did good.

What I didn't like, however, was the climax. I felt like the book (and the series as a whole) was building up to something much bigger than what we got. I mean, yes, it was devastating, and it killed me emotionally (and maybe physically), but it wasn't as big as I was hoping. It wasn't as epic. I know I just finished praising the book for its simplicity, and while that is one of its strong suits, but I feel like the series as a whole was trying to build up to something bigger, and it ended up just falling short.

Also: did I miss something? What was that "extra something" that Ryan included in Harper's magic tattoo? I feel like they introduced it and referenced it several times, but nothing ever really came of it. (If it did, clearly it was vague / inconsequential enough for me to overlook.)

AND FINALLY. We have spent the whole series dancing around Harper's refusal to use swear words, which I praised in the first book, and started to find repetitive in the second. It all lead up to that one moment, that one scene in the woods, where she broke down and used the f-bomb several times in the span of a minute and a half. I loved that scene, I live for that scene; I feel like it was a great way to show just how fed up and tired she was of the whole situation. But it would have been a hundred million times better if Hawkins had JUST. USED. THE ACTUAL. WORD. Your audience can handle it, girl, I'm sure of it.


ANYWAY. All in all, it was a great read, and a solid 4 from me.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Miss Mayhem

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

HELLO, FRIENDS! Quick disclaimer: the following review is actually a sequel. So obviously, if you've read this week's book, you've also read it's predecessor as well. I would also recommend reading my review of said book, which went up last week!

THIS WEEK'S BOOK: Miss Mayhem, by Rachel Hawkins!

THE PLOT-Y BIT

It's been months since the disaster that was Cotillion, and Harper is finally getting used to the current situation. David's visions are well under control--thanks to a little magical help from their new mage, Ryan--their relationship is thriving, and Bee has even returned from her mysterious disappearance.

But then the Ephors show up, with a sudden change of heart--they don't want to kill David, they want to use him. In order to do so, Harper needs to go through her own Paladin trials. If she succeeds, she'll be more powerful than ever.

But if she fails, she won't just lose David or her Paladin status--she'll lose her life.

THE REVIEW-Y BIT

I finished this book in five hours. Five. Hours. I started it at approximately eight one morning, and even after factoring in several leisurely breaks, I still finished it around one that afternoon. I liked a lot of things about it. I had a few problems with it. But it's been so long since a book has been so riveting that it made me read it in such a marathon, so either way...Hawkins, you did good!

As mentioned briefly in my Rebel Belle review, this is where those cutesy euphemisms started to get real annoying--especially with Ryan playing a more central part in the story, and thus providing a bit more in the cursing department. And the humour, too, seemed a bit more toned down than it was in the first one. That, thought, could easily be written off to the story having a more serious tone--which it definitely does. So for that, I'll forgive it.

Honestly, though, I probably would have forgiven it, anyway, for the asbolutely ADORABLENESS that was Harper and David's relationship. Right off the bat we're treated to the GLORIOUS, HAPPY, FLUFFY-NESS that was their relationship. MY SHIPPING HEART! IT THRIVES!

(Until shit hit the fan, anyway. I'll take what I can get.)

I felt like some of the conflicts from the first book--Bee's disappearance, for one, and Blythe as an antagonist--were resolved almost too quickly. I understand that they were solved in order to make room for the conflicts that would arise this time around, but I felt like they could have been stretched out a little more. Not to mention that Blythe's character probably could have been used for more than just the one installment. 

But the thing that I loved--actually and completely loved--about this book was the way Hawkins addressed that all of the major characters are kids. Barely seventeen, still stuck in high school, totally at the mercy of their hormones children. This is a fact that I think many YA books overlook or neglect, and I loved how this book addressed it, particularly in Harper's confession scene with her Aunt Jewel. As much as Harper wants the situation to be in control--and, in the meanwhile, probably lying to herself about the true reality of it all--it's not. And it shouldn't be expected to, because the fate of the all-powerful Oracle and probably the world is in the hands of a bunch of love-triangled teenagers.

And it's absolutely fantastic.

That ending...my GOD, that ending! The emotions were portrayed and provoked so well that I found myself emotionally out of commission for at least a few hours.

That being said, I still have a couple big complaints about it; namely, the climax. There was so much going on and I almost felt like some stuff wasn't very well explained. Maybe I was reading it too fast, and all of my problems will be solved once I give it another run-through, but by the time the resolution rolled around I was very lost about the "why's" and the "how's" that made everything happen the way it did.

And of course, we can't end this review without a bit of commentary on the character development! Just like in the first book, Harper's development was slow and steady, expanding on her progress from the first one and still leaving room for the finale. I felt like this story provided something different for her development than the first one. Rebel Belle focused more on the acceptance of her desitny, whereas this one went deeper and focused more on her sedire to keep everything under her own control. The contrast we super interesting and really nice to see!

The ending, as well, proved to be a nice, satisfying conclusion for her development, too--as heartbreaking as it was. Harper's decision to let David go and honour his wish to try and return to a normal life was probably one of the most mature things she done to date. She's not giving up on him--I'm absolutely confident of that--but she recognizes that there's nothing she can do for him right now, and choosing to let him go until she can do something.

All in all, I'm super pumped to see where the finale takes us! NEXT YEAR JUST CAN'T COME FAST ENOUGH.

~~

THE STAR-Y BIT

Any book read as quickly as this one deserves an immediate five stars, no questions asked.

~~

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Rebel Belle

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

Confession time: like The Truth About Forever, I've already read this week's book. (Although I haven't read it fourteen times, that's for sure.) But with the recent release of its sequel, I decided that now was as good a time as any to give it a quick reread.

So, without further ado, here is my review on Rebel Belle, by Rachel Hawkins!

THE PLOT-Y BIT

Southern belle Harper Price is a lot of things--student council president, head cheerleader, and cotillion debutante. But after a strange run-in at the dance, Harper receives the most badass ninja skills she's ever seen--far greater and deadlier than any self-defense class could teach her. She discovers that she's now a Paladin, an ancient warrior charged with protecting a certain individual.

To her dismay, said individual is David Stark--school newspaper editor and arguably her least favourite person.

Harper is thrown head-first into a world of swords, oracles and mages, struggling to keep her footing as she throws her new Paladin duties in with her already-overflowing schedule. Already in over her head, her possible feelings for David don't make things any easier--and neither does the mysterious prophecy looming over their heads, hinting at the possibility that David's own powers could very well destroy the Earth.

THE REVIEW-Y BIT

First things first: humour? Absolutely on point. The dialogue is excpetionally witty, especially between Harper and David. The chemistry between them was outstanding, and I have to say that I am an absolute sucker for characters who bicker like these two do.

Hawkins made an excellent choice on setting, as well. Her descriptions of Magnolia House and the other large, grand houses had just the right amount of detail. She also did a great job of establishing a small town setting; as someone who hails from a fairly small city, herself, it felt very real and very accurate. Small towns have a special kind of vibe from them, and that vibe was definitely present in this book. The action was well described, as well, and fast paced enough to hold my attention and keep me on edge.

I loved the narrating style, really I did. I loved how it genuinely sounded like Harper was telling us the story later on. The only problem with this, though, is that there were a few minor inconsistencies. Harper says right off the bat that she doesn't like swearing, and won't include it in her story because it's her story, and that's all fine and dandy...but I noticed, on several occasions, that she included words that weren't exactly family friendly. She never dropped the F-bomb--that, at least, remained consistent--but "shit" was a word that was used a couple times throughout the text. It's a small thing, a nitpicky thing, but something that stuck out to me nontheless.

And although it was cute, her using "eff", and other variations, instead of the actual word...it got a little annoying, eventually, with her having to point out whether or not the person said the actual word. (This was a trend that continued throughout the second book, but we'll get to that next time.)

Hawkins ended her chapters really well. Like, really well. No matter what point of the story, she somehow always managed to leave the chapter on a cliffhanger. So pro tip: never tell youself that you'll stop at the end of a chapter. 'Cause you won't.

And finally, my favourite topic of any new review: character development. Harper's devleopment was slow, but noticeable. I enjoyed watching her grow and mature into her powers and the responsibility that came with them. Even after all was said and done, she still had much more room to grow--which is fitting, since she still has two more books to do so.

All in all, this excellent mix of fast-paced fight scenes, fantastic elements molded with a good sense of reality, and a dash of exceptional humour makes this a perfect read to kickstart a new series.

THE STAR-Y BIT

Five stars. Completely enjoyable, even a second time around.


Until later,

- Justyne