Thursday, March 7, 2019

In a Nutshell Reviews: YA Editon


In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

If You're Out There
Katy Loutzenhiser
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
After Zan’s best friend moves to California, she is baffled and crushed when Priya suddenly ghosts. Worse, Priya’s social media has turned into a stream of ungrammatical posts chronicling a sunny, vapid new life that doesn’t sound like her at all.

Everyone tells Zan not to be an idiot: Let Priya do her reinvention thing and move on. But until Zan hears Priya say it, she won’t be able to admit that their friendship is finished.

It’s only when she meets Logan, the compelling new guy in Spanish class, that Zan begins to open up about her sadness, her insecurity, her sense of total betrayal. And he’s just as willing as she is to throw himself into the investigation when everyone else thinks her suspicions are crazy.

Then a clue hidden in Priya’s latest selfie introduces a new, deeply disturbing possibility:

Maybe Priya isn’t just not answering Zan’s emails.

Maybe she can’t.
Zan was beside herself, when her best friend, Priya, moved to California, but they promised to keep in touch, write, text, Skype, and visit on breaks. That was the plan, but then Priya ghosted her. Zan's texts, emails, and phone calls went unanswered. She couldn't believe Priya would do that to her, but she was going to give up on her.
  • Pro: Fierce female friendship for the win. Yes! I loved that Pryia and Zan were a bestie-second-generation (their mom's were best friends), and they knew and understood each other on such a deep level, which was obvious throughout the story. 
  • Pro: Zan might have been feeling slighted by her friends, but she was seriously loved. Her family and her work-family were wonderful! It was great how hands on her mom was, and I also liked the way Loutzenhiser explored Zan's relationship with her dad. 
  • Pro: The book's progression was rather interesting. It was fairly light and fun and gradually got more serious. The beginning came across as a standard contemporary and then questions started arising concerning Pryia, and from there, a little bit of a mystery, with some drama, began to unfold. 
  • Pro: And, then there was Logan. I liked him a lot and adored the way he became part of Zan's world. He was also very complicated with a super sticky backstory, but his darkness was contained, and he was also gifted with a fantastic sister and aunt to support him. 
  • Pro: Logan + Zan = 😍 I was all about these two making a love connection. They had the chemistry and the banter, and when everyone else more or less dismissed her, Logan believe that there was more to the Priya situation than met the eye. A fantastic coupling! 
  • Pro: Though I wish I got a little bit more at the end, I will say I loved all the things Loutznhiser did for the characters. Everyone's near future was shared with us, and the developments made me warm and fuzzy. I especially liked where Zan ended up, because it fit with what I had learned about her over the course of the story, but it was also surprising.  
Overall:  An ode to friendship, family, and finding yourself infused with humor, romance, and a little mystery.



The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project
Lenore Appelhans
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Carolrhoda Labs
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Riley lives in TropeTown, where everyone plays stock roles in novels. Riley, a Manic Pixie Dream Boy, is sent to group therapy after going off-script. Riley knows that breaking the rules again could get him terminated, yet he feels there must be more to life than recycling the same clichés for readers' entertainment. Then he meets Zelda, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl (Geek Chic subtype), and falls head over heels in love. Zelda's in therapy too, along with several other Manic Pixies. But TropeTown has a dark secret, and if Riley and his fellow Manic Pixies don't get to the bottom of it, they may all be terminated.
Readers are often lamenting about "the tropes", and one that often takes a beating is the manic pixie dream girl. This was a fun exploration of the MPDGs and their token boy, as they set out on their quest to save and redefine their trope.
  • Pro: I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was odd and quirky, and I found myself laughing and nodding as I recognized so many of these characters and their traits from the books I have read. 
  • Pro: I've read several of these meta type books, and for me, this was one of the stronger ones, because it actually had more plot than the others. I felt like I went through all the fun stuff with the topes, but I also got a pretty fleshed out world and a complete story. 
  • Pro: This wasn't all just laughs and poking fun at tropes. Applehans also explored the idea of being more than your label and paving your own way, and I enjoyed being part of Riley's journey to self-fulfillment. 
  • Pro: Don't get me wrong, I love each and every John Green book, but I did giggle when I recognized some of his MPDGs. For example: Nebraska, yeah, you who she's supposed to be. 
  • Con: There were a few times I thought the author was trying too hard, but at the same time, the information relayed was quite informative. So, not a total con.  
  • Pro: When I read the first therapy session, I kept envisioning that scene from Wreck It Ralph, when all the bad guys are sharing how they were bad, and "bad" for the characters in this book was how they deviated from their trope. I thought it was just as much fun, and really looked forward to the therapy sessions. 
Overall: This was a super fun romp through Trope Town, which also challenged the reader to look beyond the labels.


** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Have you read any of these books?
Let us know in the comments!

30 comments:

  1. Have you read Dreaming of a Manic Pixie Girl bye Gretchen McNeil (at least I think that's the project). They're both similar in the fact that the live in Trope Land while also breaking them down.

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    1. I am sort of bitter about that book, because I won it in a giveaway, and never received it.

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  2. Haha, that Manic Pixie book sound awesome. It reminds me of The Love Interest, which I liked. Great reviews!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. It was really fun. Made me think of that book that came out a year or 2 ago about the YA hero, the one with the Twitter, but it was more organic

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  3. Both of these sound cute and fun. It made me laugh that the therapy session in the second one reminded you of Wreck it Ralph.

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    1. The characters lamenting about their trope traits was hilarious

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  4. These both sound like ones I would really enjoy. Especially Manic Pixie Dream Boy - even if it sometimes tried too hard. Great reviews!

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    1. I thought it was really fun, and the few try hard parts were easy to forget

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  5. Both sound interesting/good! I think I'll definitely check out If You're Out There. Sounds very intriguing!!

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    1. A really great debut. It had a little bit of everything and I had no trouble liking all the characters

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  6. The mystery surrounding Priya definitely sounds interesting. And I love the focus on good, positive female friendships. No mean/petty girls needed!

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    1. The mystery was an interesting addition to story, but I was just all about the relationships in this book

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  7. If You're Out There is going on my tbr! :)

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    1. It was such a great mix of stuff, but ultimately, a story of friendship and loyalty, which is always awesome.

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  8. I really liked If You're Out There! It was so fun, and I agree, Logan and Zan were beyond adorable, and I loved how devoted Zan was to her and Priya's friendship! Great reviews!

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    1. It was interesting, and the Pryia storyline was a pleasant surprise, because I was totally thinking it would go in a different direction. I like how the space gave Zan room to grow too.

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  9. If You're Out There sounds really good - now I want to know what happened to Priya!

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  10. Both these sound delightful. I always appreciate friendship oriented novels and If You're Out There sounds like something I wouldn't mind reading. Hope you have a lovely weekend!

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    1. I am really excited to read more from Loutzenhiser, because her debut was solid.

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  11. If You're Out There sounds great. I love books that feature strong female friendships. Manic Pixie sounds like a really fun read. I don't have either of these on my TBR but will have to add them both. Great reviews!

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    1. I enjoyed boy. MPDB was pretty much pure fun, while If You're Out There was a little deeper sort of story.

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  12. these both sound amazing -- and Trope Town! OMG, brilliant!

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    1. I laughed a ton while I read that book. I thought Appelhans put a fun spin on it all.

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  13. I love a great fierce friendship as you said and it's actually so cool that they are second generation best friends. I would love if my future kids are like that when it comes to me and my best friends children (if they have any). If You're Out there sounds good! I also think that the second book sounds funny, focusing on the token boy and the stereotype. I can see how it might delve into trying too hard but it sounds fun!

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    1. I think we all dream of living near our besties and having children the same age, so they can bond. I liked that connection in If You're Out There too.

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  14. I can never say no to fierce female friendship. If You're Out There sounds like a must read.

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    1. It was such an interesting combination of elements, that was driven by a stupendous cast of characters

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  15. I like the sound of If You're Out There. I like a little mystery woven in a book. It sounds like great characters too. You have me interested. Great reviews. I am sure I have said this but love these In A Nutshell reviews!

    Mary

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    1. If You're Out There took an interesting turn for me, but I really enjoyed it. It was fun and emotional and I was pleasantly surprised several times by it. A real great debut.

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