I really wish every month was as productive a reading month as July was. It took me by surprise when I counted up the books I had read.
I have to say that my Bi-Annual Bibliothon and my Booktube-a-thon did not go to plan! I only managed 3 books while I was on holiday. I am a bit disappointed about that but I was on a busy holiday with lots of trips and activities so did not get to reading as much as I would have liked!
Carrying on from part one of my wrap up the next book I read was "Lying About Last Summer" by Sue Wallman. This was another 2 star read for me unfortunately. It was all very predictable and felt it played into the stereotypical teenage character portrayal way too much. The characters felt like so many other teenage characters and totally lacked any real depth or perception. The story line sounded fantastic to me but I just feel that lots of the issues raised were dealt with a bit too clumsily. The mental health awareness opportunity was completely missed in my opinion. This had so much potential to really portray the struggles of depression, anxiety and substance abuse but really skirted around them. I felt disappointed that such serious issues were dealt with so lightly and used as plot devices just for dramatic effect. I think there's a real danger that this can glamourise mental health problems and substance abuse when the book is aimed at young people. I also felt the abusive nature of one of the characters was not dealt with in a harsh enough way to raise awareness of emotional abuse and manipulation - all of these are important issues which need as much awareness raised as possible. A real wasted opportunity.
"Sharp Shooter" by Marianne Delacourt was a 3 star read for me. It was a light read which was relatively quick. The main character was quite funny at the start and I really liked her but as the plot developed she started taking herself very seriously and seemed to lose her perspective a bit. The plot was up and down. It was easy to follow but lacked depth in places to be honest. I won't probably read the rest of the series because this was a bit of a non-event for me. I really don't have a lot more to say about this one so I am leaving it there.
Another 3 star read for me was "The Flame in the Mist" by Renee Ahdieh which I read as the first book in my readathon challenge. It was kind of sold to me as a "Mulan" retelling which it turned out not to be. I was stuck between star ratings for this one because I did really like it but at the same time just felt like there was a lot of storylines started but then abandoned in favour of different strands which seemed unnecessary. The main character was actually my least favourite character in the whole novel - she was uninteresting, childish and a bit of a brat really. This story from the perspective of any of the other characters would have been much more effective. There was a lot of really strong male characters but the female lead just needed a bit more oomph behind her. She was so influenced by her emotions that she lacked any real direction. The romantic storyline was unbearable. It just seemed very forced and sudden - it really made me properly cringe at the thought of it. I am not sure if this will be a series but, again, I won't be reading the rest of the series.
I think I was in a generous mood when I rated this one to be fair but "When Dimple Met Rishi" got 5 stars from me. I loved the character of Dimple and felt like I really related to her sarcasm as well as her character as a whole. The novel dealt with the pressure of following tradition and parental pressures on young people in a way that was accessible and could be connected not just to Indian families but any families really. I liked the easy-going romance throughout the novel and the realistic portrayal of the complexities young people face in every day life. This was very much a fitting summer read which went well with my holiday mood.
The final (10th!) book that I managed to read this month was "History Is All You Left Me" by Adam Silvera which I gave 4 stars but really think it actually deserves nearer 4.5. Firstly I thought it dealt with the LGBTQIA+ aspect in a way that was completely appropriate - it didn't make a big deal of the characters' sexuality or identity but instead focused on the main basis of the story - love and grief. I really liked the honesty of the characters and the very realistic way that they dealt with their emotions and reacted in ways that seemed very natural to the situations that they were in. Griffin was the lead character and I really appreciated the way that his "quirks" were portrayed and accepted as part of who he is. The relationships within the novel were realistic apart from one part - I won't spoil it!!
I really loved getting through as much reading as I did in July but have no illusions that I will get anywhere near as much read in August - already I'm off to a bit of a flop! We will see what happens.
Meg x
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