Double ARC Review: Court of Fives - Kate Elliott

Court of Fives
Kate Elliott
Series: Court of Fives, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,
Release Date: August 18th, 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Court of Fives is an ARC we picked up at BEA, and focuses on the protagonist, Jessamy, and her struggle to compete in the Fives -- an athletic competition that someone of her social position wouldn't dare participate in. In fact, there are a decent amount of things someone "like her" shouldn't or can't do. The book is heavy with descriptions of classism and racism, both of which remain central to the story, which is about more than just the aforementioned competition -- while the Fives are interlaced throughout the book, something bigger and more sinister is happening as the story progresses.

Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to want to read the next book in the series, so I'd deem it a successful literary endeavor, though there were definitely some parts I liked more than others.

The story itself was compelling, in my opinion, even though it wasn't too complex (although I feel like in the next book in might get a little more complicated (but I'm not the author so I won't make any hasty predictions)). I was generally interested in where it was going, but at some points it did seem to drag where it seemed like not much was happening to advance the plot. Those parts were nice to read for a little while and it isn't that they were bad but I just wanted to know when I could expect a shift. Also, towards the end, I felt really tempted to skim, and I'm not sure if it was the writing or the story or if I just, again, wanted to get to get to a point where something else was happening. Something I liked about the story was that even though the story is about the Fives, it isn't totally about the Fives and they aren't the primary focus of the plot.

As for the characters, I had mixed feelings about them. I liked Jessamy's character a lot, and I liked her sisters but I thought they were very one dimensional for a lot of the book. Bettany and Maraya, two of the sisters, kindof stayed one dimensional the whole time, but Amaya showed a little bit of growth/change. They were still fun to read about and I liked them all but I just wished they were fleshed out a little bit more than "the smart sister", "the pretty sister", and "the loud sister." In fact, we see very few multifaceted characters. Everyone else is either purely good or purely bad.

Another thing I wasn't a fan of was the love story. The two just didn't seem to have a connection or have chemistry, the whole thing seemed forced and awkward. I really liked Kal's character on his own and I really liked Jes, and I didn't think it was even obnoxious or in your face -- that's actually something I'd like to commend Kate Elliott on, because if the two characters fit well together I would have really liked the way she handled the romance. However, it just didn't really work for me.

I feel like I've spent a lot of this review talking about negatives and I swear I didn't mean to, so I'll mention something I liked, which was how heavy an influence classism and racism had in the society Elliott wrote about. I know it sounds weird writing that I liked those things but what I mean is that I liked that they were included and touched upon because in a lot of fantasy books you have different species and sure, elves are better than dwarves but that's pretty abstract, and in this book it's clear that the dark skinned people are unattractive and those who sail to the new land are superior Patrons to the lowly Commoners and it just created a whole aspect of the world-building that was really cool.

Speaking of the world building, I liked the idea of it, but sometimes it was carried out in large info-dumps, like "oh hey dad why don't you tell us this story" or like sometimes Jessamy, who was narrating, would just break up chapters of action with narration of world-building, and it was a lot of info-dumping and a lot of names that I honestly forgot a lot of. It was kindof hard to keep straight and I got some of it confused so I wasn't huge on the way it was told, but at the same time, I get it because there are only so many ways to get that information across in a book this size, you know??? So I'm not too hung up on that, but I definitely liked the subtle things, like slipping in things into lines and actions of characters rather than chapters of explanation.

I know my review has made my opinion sound really mixed, but I actually got through this book really quickly because I was enjoying myself reading, so it wasn't something I forced myself to finish or that I finished so I could laugh at. I really liked the language and the actual flow of the words, which really gave the book an added flair. Despite the things I mentioned that I disliked, the story and the supporting characters pulled me through and like I mentioned earlier, it was likable enough that I would definitely read the second book in the series once it comes out (although this one isn't even officially out yet so I might have to wait a bit).

- Noor

Amrutha's Court of Fives Review
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I really agree with Noor for most of her review: the characters were a bit one dimensional, the plot seemed to drag a tiny bit due to not being as complex as I would've liked, but all in all, the book was a fast and easy read (I read it all in one sitting), so I will definitely read the second book in the series.

That being said, let's get started. The book is, like Noor mentioned, about Jessamy and her sisters, who grow up in a lower class/social standing than what is needed to train for the Fives, which is this really intense athletic competition that could bring really good things for her. However, Jessamy is the daughter of a Patron (higher social standing) and a Commoner (lower social standing), which is forbidden in her land. She faces not only pseudo for being the daughter of these two, but also classism for being in such a low social standing -- this is probably one of my favorite elements of the book, solely because it's a part of dystopian fantasy that I always look forward to. I read a review of this book that compares Jessamy to a mudblood in HP, so here it is basically a half-blood with the same amount of discrimination of a mudblood.

So, I liked Jessamy to an extent -- she was a bit wishy washy but she is still a young protagonist with a lot of issues, so I tried to look past it. I think that this will all play into her character development in future books so I'm withholding judgement for now. Kal (our love interest) was interesting too, I'm expecting that he'll be a bit more fleshed out in future books so I'm reserving judgement again. Pretty much all the other characters are really one dimensional and static, which as we all know is something that drives me absolutely insane, so I wasn't a huge fan of that.

100% agree with Noor on the romance, I didn't love Kal and Jessamy together because they just didn't quite fit. But to be honest, I didn't think Katniss and Peeta fit that well in THG but they still ended up having quite a bit of chemistry, and I feel like Kal and Jessamy could be similar in that sense.

I'm honestly a little disappointed at the lack of world-building and how it was more of just a dump of information that I had to wade through, I wanted more from it than what I got. Everything just felt very slow, and as someone who likes fast paced fantasy, this just didn't deliver on that front.

That all being said, I really did enjoy the book. The book flowed together in a way that was enjoyable and interesting, and while it had its flaws, I look forward to reading the next one, because it really feels like it has so much potential.

- Amrutha

What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?

Let us know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday: Why Not Me? - Mindy Kaling

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling!

Why Not Me?
Mindy Kaling
Series: N/A
Release Date: September 15th, 2015
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Waited on by: Amrutha

From the author of the beloved New York Times bestselling book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and the creator and star of The Mindy Project comes a collection of essays that are as hilarious and insightful as they are deeply personal.

In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.

In “How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet’s Confessions,” Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty, (“Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn’t the land of appropriate–this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman’s traditional hair color is honey blonde.”) “Player” tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in L.A. (“I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs.”) In “Unlikely Leading Lady,” she muses on America’s fixation with the weight of actresses, (“Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they’re walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture.”) And in “Soup Snakes,” Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend, B.J. Novak (“I will freely admit: my relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell.”)

Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.

Mindy Kaling is a super rad person, and in addition to being one of the only relevant Indian actresses on American television, she's hilarious. I loved her in The Office and I loved The Mindy Project even more. I've been excited for Why Not Me? since I saw Mindy tweet about it a long time ago, so I can't actually believe it's finally coming out. Meeting Mindy at BEA this year was a dream and she is so cute in real life and we got signed copies of an excerpt (which is never worth it but it was worth it because it was Mindy), so needless to say, I'm really excited for this book to come out. Also, I should probably get on reading her other book. Anyways, can't wait!

- Amrutha

What are you waiting on?

Let us know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday - Authors I've Read the Most Books From

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here at We Live and Breathe Books, two of us choose five books each week. This week's topic is...

Authors I've read the most books from!

Kiersten's Picks

1. Cassandra Clare - It's no secret that I'm a fan of Cassandra Clare's series. I've read all The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, as well as The Bane Chronicles and The Iron Trial. I'm currently working on getting all the Shadowhunter Academy Chronicles from the elibrary (it's working pretty well so far, except I can't seem to get the first novella), and I'll be reading The Copper Gauntlet soon. I know Cassandra Clare is sort of one of those "controversial" subjects among readers, but I enjoy her stories and can't wait to keep reading them.
2. Rick Riordan - I think Rick Riordan is another one on this list that it's not really a secret I like. WLABB has done many a post about Rick Riordan's books. While I haven't read The Blood of Olympus yet (the elibrary has every Heroes of Olympus ebook except this one right now, sob), I've loved the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books and the Heroes of Olympus books I've read so far. Plus, I'm incredibly excited for The Sword of Summer!
3. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - This is the part of this list where I realize that I haven't really read more than 4 books from a certain author, mostly because I read YA series, aka mostly trilogies. This is one exception since the Beautiful Creatures series has five books, and I've also read Dangerous Dream and Dangerous Creatures. I really love these books, and these authors are absolutely hilarious and fun! I really need to get to Dangerous Deceptions as soon as possible.
4. Melissa F. Olson - I first got into reading Melissa F. Olson books when I got Dead Spots as a Kindle Daily Deal. Since then, I've read the other two books in her Scarlet Bernard series and two of her novellas. Since Boundary Crossed is Kindle Unlimited, I'll definitely be reading that one soon!
5. Susan Kaye Quinn - While I haven't actually read that much Susan Kaye Quinn, I've loved everything I've read! I discovered her Mindjack series on Amazon when I was looking for an ebook that fit my gift card balance, and I've followed her ever since. While I'm not entirely caught up with her work right now, I've read the whole Mindjack series, Third Daughter, and the first episode of her Debt Collectors serial. I definitely need to finish the Dharian Affairs with Second Daughter and First Daughter, as well as start her new series with The Legacy Human in the near future!

Also honorable mention to Mary Pope Osbourne and the Magic Treehouse books. Since I read those in elementary school and didn't have Goodreads to catalog which ones I read, I have no idea how many I read. I have a feeling it was in the twenties though, so she probably should have been first on this list. Since I made this list based on Goodreads, I totally forgot about all those books until right now.

Noor's Picks

1. J.K Rowling - I don't actually know if, out of all the authors I've read ever, J.K. Rowling is in the top 5, but I've read the seven Harry Potter books, the the three little side stories (Tales of Beedle the Bard and such) and The Casual Vacancy (haven't gotten around to her books as Robert Galbraith yet I know I hate myself too) so that's 11 so I think it's a reasonable bet??? I feel like her owe her too much to exclude her from top lists like these but I feel like it's valid to include her, I promise I'm not knowingly pushing anyone out to make room for my childhood obsession with Harry Potter. 
2. Neil Gaiman - This time I don't even know exactly how many of his books I've read because I know if I think about it I'll miss something but I feel like I'm thinking of him because a. I've read a lot of his works recently (over the past few years) if you don't count Coraline which I read in fourth grade and b. he holds a position as favorite author in my mind but I think both those things also would mean I have read more of his books than other authors' books so I think this one is valid too. 
3. Meg Cabot - As a child I was an avid library user and once I discovered the section of books marketed towards preteen girls I was hooked. I was already bringing home 12 books a trip but now each and every single one included pink and flowery covers. Some time in this era, I discovered a huge shelf of books all by Meg Cabot and made it my home, and, trip after trip, the stacks were dominated by her beautiful works. It was magical, honestly. 
4. Jodi Picoult - I started reading Jodi Picoult books around when My Sister's Keeper was becoming a movie, and although that's the book I started with, I immediately realized how much more widespread her work was and how that was definitely not the height of her talent. She's another author whose section at the library I clung to, my pile at that point a mix of her emotional, dramatic novels and the cheesy, pink-covered books from the other side of the library. Jodi Picoult was one of the first "adult" authors I really passionately read and I still excitedly read her new works and consider her one of my favorite authors. 
5. Barbara Park - Barbara Park was the original author homie (just in my heart, we were unfortunately not homies in real life). Even before Harry Potter was in my life, I was eating up the antics of Junie B. Jones. And with all the Junie B. Jones books plus the two Skinnybones books, that's thirty books for Barbara Parks, which not only makes her the spark for my love of reading and literature and words but also probably puts her as my most read author. And to think, it all happened before I finished third grade.  

What authors have you read the most books from?

Let us know in the comments!

ARC Review: George - Alex Gino

George
Alex Gino
Series: N/A
Genre: Children's, LGBT+, Realistic Fiction
Release Date: August 25th, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This book is incredible, and I suggest you just go read it right now.

If you've read my review I.W. Gregario's None of The Above, or really any of my reviews, you'll have realized by now that while I do review books, I also mostly yell at books for not having certain progressive values or being diverse, or praise books that do have these things. George will fall, of course, to the latter category.

George follows the story of a young girl. The only problem with this, and the central struggle of this story, is that no one else knows she is a girl. This is because George is male, and the world around her is a terrifyingly gendered place.

This causes many problems in George's life. As a ten-year-old, she has to hide "girl" magazines, inside which she's made friends with all of the pictures of models and often dreams of wearing bikinis at the beach with them. George hides these magazines and other behavior (like pulling her hair down the middle from its part to pretend she has bangs, and using lots of shampoo to cover her genitalia while she bathes, as she is uncomfortable with it) because she does not want to strain her relationship with her mom. She fears her mom's disapproval, and it stems from recent memory. George's mother has caught her in the past with feminine clothing and, while she considered it cute when George was three, she no longer does.

It is in this secret environment that George has to live. Behind the shadows, putting on a play for her mother because she cannot speak otherwise. This is incredibly important, because if you've read anything about trans or gender-non-conforming persons, this is generally the kind of childhood they grow up in. And that's what I really like about this book. Its accuracy and nuance are beyond my expectations for a children's book.

To be honest, I was completely expecting a simplified version of a trans youth. Instead, George offers exactly the kind of nuance that real trans people deal with. For example, George at one point questions whether she likes boys or girls more, and is unable to come up with a definite answer. Many of the trans people I know are bisexual/pansexual, and this is often erased in media and literature, so it's refreshing to see that in a children's book. George also questions if she'll want the surgeries available to trans people. And so on and so on. Basically, this book earned a lot of its stars just by being realistic and honest about the thoughts of trans kids, instead of being an oversimplified caricature.

Another thing I really like is that Gino writes George as a best case scenario. George's family is not rich, but they are not very poor. She has access to a good education, nice housing, food, and so on. Many LGBT+ youth are poor and deprived of many of the securities George has. Unlike None of the Above, George's secret is hers and she is not outed without her permission, which is very common among LGBT+ youth. George is white, and thus far less likely to be criminalized for being transgender. George's mom and brother care deeply for George and are there for her.

These facts make George's inner thoughts even more heartbreaking. Even with all of these things stacked on George's side, her world is still a broken place. For example, while her mother is caring, she refers to as George as her "little boy," often adding that nothing can change that fact, and though she means it endearingly, it further silences George from ever.

George has to perform for the whole world, even with her best friend Kelly. This is perhaps why Gino chose to use a play performed by the students in George's class as the central stage (puns!) for the conflict.

See, George really wants to be Charlotte in the Charlotte's Web play the school is putting on. Now, I'm not even going to go into why this whole set up is absolute literary genius. But while George practices very hard with Kelly, and has a wonderful voice, her teacher shoots her down because Charlotte is a girl's part.

Now, Charlotte is a spider. A spider. It's so massively ignorant to project human genders onto completely different animals. But this is common. Few people think about this, and George suffers from it. Kelly ends up getting the part, but because she's a wonderful human being, she starts scheming with George on how to get George to play Charlotte . . . and . . . possibly come out to her mom in that performance.

I love this set up, too. Because Kelly and one of George's family members (unexpected family members!!!) are the supporting characters for George's desires in the book. But neither are perfect. Kelly especially begins the book from an innocent place, not understanding George when she says that she is a girl. But later, Kelly evolves as the novel evolves and she becomes one of the biggest wells of courage and relief George is allowed.

I honestly could not find a single thing that I found that really dragged this novel down. I'm serious. George eats hot dogs at one point and I don't like hot dogs but really, that's not even important.

I can't imagine the struggle it must have taken to create such a beautiful piece of art. I just want to thank Scholastic team (I'm looking at you David Levithan) for fighting for this novel, and for Alex Gino's brilliance and dedication and bravery for creating it in the first place.

Just read this book, please. It's very short!

- Marlon

Charlotte or Wilbur?

Let us know in the comments!

Stuffed Animal Saturday: Downcast - Cait Reynolds

Stuffed Animal Saturday is a meme that we post here at We Live and Breathe Books to showcase the book we're currently reading with one of our favorite stuffed animals and discuss our stuffed animal's opinion (well, it's really our opinion, but that's besides the point). We hope you enjoy our quirky feature as much as we enjoy writing it!

This Saturday, Carol and I are reading Downcast by Cait Reynolds.

So far: Carol is an over-protective hippie mom with a distaste for cute boys and also magic. Therefore, she resonates with the protagonist's mom. This is a problem, as I immediately recognize the need of the protagonist Stephanie, to live her own life with the new cute boy at school who is dark and mysterious and sexy and can disintegrate lockers with his hands. Carol and I have gotten into respectful arguments about this. Carol thinks Haley sounds too much like Hades and Stephanie sounds too much like Persephone. I keep telling her that's the point.

Sneak peek: The first thirty to forty percent of the novel is all about setting up for the events that occur in the second act, so there are many loose ends dangled within these pages to keep Carol and I busy trying to grasp what's happening. One of the biggest mysteries thus far is trying to figure out how Haley seems to be familiar with Stephanie, enough to be touching her forearm without asking and later commenting that her name didn't quite suit her, as if he knew what did.

"You're beautiful," he breathed. "More than I . . . "

 Well, that snapped me out of my haze. I scrunched up my face in a grimace of disapproval and silently swiveled in my seat to face front, determined to ignore him. New guy or not, he clearly had already learned that I was an acceptable target for mockery.

"Wait," he murmured, reaching out and touching my forearm. "Please, I meant no offense." 

I frowned harder because the way he spoke was so weirdly formal. Risking a glance at him, I was sucked right back into the heated black of his gaze. Were black holes hot? I'd have to ask Helen . . . A tiny part of my brain wracked itself to remember if this wa the first time a boy had ever touched me.  

- Marlon

Are you and your stuffed animal reading anything interesting? 

Let us know in your own Stuffed Animal Saturday!