Book Review: "Three Parties" by Ziyad Saadi

I’m always fascinated by retellings and reimaginings. Ziyad Saadi’s debut novel is a reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, which was also reimagined in The Hours (one of my favorite books of all time), so I was very interested to read this.

Today is Firas’ 23rd birthday. He’s throwing himself a dinner party with a greater purpose than simply celebrating the day of his birth, however. He plans to officially come out to his family, friends, and coworkers. He’s trying to remain calm as the time of the party draws closer, but his stress level is rising.

While he wonders how his Palestinian parents will react to the news, Firas is also making sure every last detail of the party is perfect. He’s planned the menu, the decorations, even the floral arrangements. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans…

Firas is constantly worried about how he is perceived—by his family, his colleagues and friends, even the two men he is dating. The thought of falling short in anyone’s eyes appalls him, and of course, the more you worry about failing the greater the likelihood that you might fail. Meanwhile, crises within his family threaten to upend the party—and there’s even the possibility that his secret might get exposed before he’s ready to share it.

Much like Mrs. Dalloway, this book takes place over the course of one day. It’s a tremendously thought-provoking read with occasional bursts of humor.

I’m not certain if this book didn’t work for me as much as I’d hoped because I can’t imagine throwing a party to reveal a secret like this, or if the plot became overly complicated. Saadi’s talent is definitely evident and I look forward to seeing what’s next for his career.

Book Review: "Twelfth Knight" by Alexene Farol Follmuth

Here’s an existential question: is it a retelling if you’ve never read the original? I know the answer is yes, but the question came to mind when I was reading this enjoyable YA romance. It’s a retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which I never read, so I just enjoyed the story for what it is.

High school makes Viola cranky. She’s not afraid to express her opinions, which gives her a reputation of being prickly and doesn’t gain her many fans. She also is student government VP under Jack, the charismatic quarterback who would rather charm people than do his job, which leaves Vi to be the bad guy. And it seems as if her best friend would rather apologize for her behavior than support her.

“No matter how smart I am or how hard I work, my acceptance is always conditional. And it’s not just me—I don’t know how any girl can exist in the world without being perpetually furious.”

The only place she really feels comfortable is in the world of Twelfth Knight, the MMORPG she loves. But even here she capitulates a bit—she plays as Cesario, a male knight, because she knows that her fellow players would condescend to a girl playing.

And when Jack’s football career gets sidelined by injury, a friend introduces him to Twelfth Knight. While at first he can’t believe he’s playing an online game, he gets hooked pretty quickly. Vi recognizes his character but doesn’t reveal her online identity to Jack. Little by little, they strike up a friendship in the game, and their conversations expand beyond vanquishing their enemies to life and love.

Follmuth is the pen name of sci-fi/fantasy writer Olivie Blake. She has created a really enjoyable story with characters who seem much more realistic than in many YA stories. If you’re familiar with Twelfth Night, you might enjoy this even more!

Book Review: "The Fiction Writer" by Jillian Cantor

Have you ever read a book that you didn’t really like but you needed to read it in its entirety to see how everything was tied up in the end? Asking for a friend.

“That’s what writing fiction was, wasn’t it? Processing your own life, answering all those questions in any way you wanted to, since fictional worlds operated with their own language and their own rules and their own timelines. They offered their own answers.”

Olivia’s first novel was published to some acclaim, but her second novel, which was a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, was panned by critics. When editors pass on her third novel, she’s in need of money and, perhaps, a new career choice.

Then her agent calls with a sweet deal. Apparently megabillionaire Henry “Ash” Asherwood wants Olivia to write about his grandmother, and is willing to pay quite well. Intrigued by the opportunity and the client (named People magazine’s sexiest man alive twice), Olivia flies to Malibu to learn more.

Ash tells Olivia that his long-dead grandmother originally wrote the story which became Rebecca, but du Maurier stole it. But the more Olivia asks for proof, the more Ash seems to stall her and try to distract her in all sorts of ways. At the same time, Olivia is curious about Ash’s young wife, who died in a mysterious car accident.

The plot of this book was definitely an example of if it seems too good to be true, it is. Olivia stupidly gets led on by Ash for far too long, and then the story takes so many tangents I didn’t quite know what to expect. There was lots of stuff left unresolved and I was hoping for so much more out of this book. And since I never read Rebecca, I don't know if that knowledge would have made a difference to my enjoyment.

Book Review: "Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix" by Gabe Cole Novoa

As many of you know, I love a good retelling, and boy, did I absolutely love this one! This book is part of a series called Remixed Classics, in which authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. (Two years ago, Self-Made Boys, a retelling of The Great Gatsby, was in my top 5 favorite books.)

Oliver Bennet longs for a life different than the one he is stuck in, a life away from gowns, corsets, and the pressures of society. Because Oliver is known to the majority of his family and friends as Elizabeth, and he is expected to dance at balls, flirt coquettishly, and act like a lady, in order to attract a suitable husband. Oliver has no desire to live his life as someone he is not; he cannot imagine life married to someone who wants to suppress his true identity and his spirit.

While his mother is desperate to marry off all of her daughters, Oliver resists every attempt. Sometimes he is able to sneak out of his house dressed in the way he feels most comfortable, as a young gentleman. And on one of his outings, he runs into Darcy, the handsome young man who is a close friend of Bingley, of whom Oliver's sister Jane is enamored. Oliver is shocked that Darcy is sensitive, intelligent, and enjoyable company, especially since he was rude to "Elizabeth" at a ball.

The more time Oliver spends with Darcy, the more he starts to believe he might be able to have the life—and love—he truly wants. But as some suitors become more persistent, and even threaten to reveal Oliver's true identity to his family, he has to decide whether to follow his heart and risk disgracing his family, or living the life that society expects "Elizabeth" to.

I am a huge fan of Pride & Prejudice and this "remix" hit all of the right notes. Gabe Cole Novoa did such an incredible job with this book. My heart swelled, I got teared up, and immediately needed to watch the film version of the original book, in which Colin Firth looked immensely delicious. Many thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an advance copy of the book!

Book Review: "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver's new novel is an immensely powerful retelling of David Copperfield which follows a young man’s struggles while growing up in Appalachia.⁣

⁣ Wow. I’ve been meaning to read this for a while but figured I’d hold off until I had some time to really get into it. Kingsolver has really created a masterpiece.⁣

⁣ “If a mother is lying in her own piss and pill bottles while they’re slapping the kid she’s shunted out, telling him to look alive: likely the bastard is doomed. Kid born to the junkie is a junkie.”⁣

⁣ Damon arrives in the world in dramatic fashion, born in a trailer to a teenage mother addicted to drugs. His orange hair, inherited from his dead father, makes him stand out, in a corner of the world where standing out isn’t what you want to do. With his mother in and out of rehab, he finds a surrogate family in the trailer next door. ⁣

⁣ But Damon, or “Demon,” despite being too wise for his age, doesn’t have an easy life ahead. His story is one of abuse, violence, loss, being shuffled in and out of foster care, child labor, and so much more. This is not an uncommon story in Appalachia, especially in the midst of the opioid epidemic.⁣

⁣ I’ve never read David Copperfield, but that wasn’t integral to the story. And make no mistake—this is a bleak story; I’ll admit that it did get a little repetitive at times. But Demon is a narrator and a character I won’t soon forget.⁣

Book Review: "Self-Made Boys" by Anna-Marie McLemore

The Great Gatsby, but make it queer and YA.⁣

⁣ I loved this book so much. It definitely will be a contender for one of my favorite books of the year. And amazingly, it’s the second fantastic Gatsby retelling I’ve read this year (although this one is referred to as a “remix”)—I absolutely loved Jillian Cantor’s Beautiful Little Fools, too. ⁣

⁣ Nicolás Caraveo is a 17-year-old trans boy from a small Wisconsin farm town who moves to New York City in 1922. He’s offered a job in the stock market and he’s determined to make a better life for his family. He’ll be reunited with his cousin, Daisy Fabrega-Caraveo, who already has made a life for herself.⁣

⁣ Imagine Nick’s surprise, however, when he discovers that Daisy is nearly engaged to wealthy Tom Buchanan—and she’s reinvented herself as Daisy Fay, passing for white despite her Latina heritage.

⁣ ⁣ Nick has a small cottage in West Egg. And then he meets his neighbor, the magnetic young Jay Gatsby, whose house is host to the most extravagant parties and who wears the most beautiful clothes. Nick is drawn to Jay, and then he discovers that Jay is also transgender. But he also finds out that Jay is slightly obsessed with Daisy, and Nick is willing to bring the two together—even if it means Nick has to ignore his own feelings for Jay.⁣

⁣ This is such a beautifully written, creative book. I was drawn into all of these characters, some who are more familiar to the original than others. And knowing the story as I do, I was totally hooked in needing to see how McLemore pulled everything together. Just incredible.⁣

Book Review: "Ben and Beatriz" by Katalina Gamarra

Ben and Beatriz is a modern-day YA retelling of Much Ado About Nothing.

Do you like Shakespeare? While I’ve not read or seen a ton of his plays, Much Ado About Nothing is definitely one of my two favorites. I’ve read and seen it, I love the 1990s film adaptation, and also enjoyed the 2012 updated adaptation, so when Graydon House Books invited me on the tour for this retelling, I was all over it.

Beatriz and Ben are both students at Harvard. Beatriz is fiercely intelligent and blunt, a queer, biracial woman in a world that doesn’t quite get her. Ben is handsome, the son of privilege, known for hooking up with nearly every girl who looks his way. Beatriz loathes Ben and what he represents; she gets under his skin but he hasn’t been able to get her out of his mind since they hooked up freshman year.

The last place Beatriz wants to spend spring break is at Ben’s family’s mansion on Cape Cod, but her cousin and best friend Hero is dating Ben’s best friend Claudio, and she’d do anything for Hero. And it’s not long into the trip before Ben and Beatriz are tearing into each other, fighting over every remark and false assumption they make about one another. But of course, they’re also intensely drawn to each other.

The more time they spend together, the more they discover how vulnerable the other is. Beatriz has nightmares from childhood trauma and is trying to find her place in a country that recently elected Trump president, and Ben is tired of the expectations of his conservative family and his abusive older brother, John. Can the two break through the walls they’ve built around them and find happiness?⁣

I enjoyed this very much. It’s fascinating to experience the themes of the original play with modern twists. This is definitely darker and angstier than the play, but these characters are so beautifully complex. I love the creativity of retellings!

Book Review: "By the Book" by Jasmine Guillory

In By the Book, an editorial assistant wanting to get ahead in the publishing world goes toe to toe with a reluctant author.

So…let’s talk retellings. I feel like the word is getting really overused and not always accurately. To me, a retelling needs to have some actual elements of the original story, not just a character name or a sprinkling of references. Maybe I’m wrong, but those tend to be the ones I’ve enjoyed.

And that is probably why By the Book dissatisfied me, especially surprising given that Guillory is a favorite author. This book is being marketed as a (very) loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast…only I don’t agree. Sure, the two publishing companies are called Tale As Old As Time and Maurice (crazy old Maurice, eh?), and the protagonist is named IsaBELLE. (There’s another reference or two in blink-or-you’ll-miss-them moments, but that’s it.)

Is the grumpy/sunshine romance enjoyable if you take away the undelivered promise of a Beauty and the Beast retelling? It was sweet and emotional, but it took longer for the characters to act on their shared chemistry. And I just felt like these characters didn’t sizzle like they do in other Guillory books.

Maybe my expectations were just too high. Others have really enjoyed it and been charmed by it. (Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits, the first book in the Meant to Be series, was a much more faithful retelling than this was.) I guess you just can’t love everything, even books by your favorite authors sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion for the complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "Olympus, Texas" by Stacey Swann

In Olympus, Texas, the problems for a dysfunctional Texas family seem to multiply when one member returns home.

It’s been two years since March Briscoe has seen his family, as he left after his affair with his brother’s wife was discovered. His mother June is less than pleased to see him—she’s always found March hard to love. And as a woman whose husband has had multiple affairs through the years, she’s tired of standing by her man.

March’s arrival stirs up old wounds with his brother, Hap, and Hap’s wife, Vera, who is perhaps even more dissatisfied with her marriage since her affair. At the same time, March and Hap’s twin half-siblings, Artie and Arlo, face their own challenges, when Artie’s desire for a life of her own is tested by Arlo’s neediness.

In the span of a week, someone has been killed, relationships are in tatters, multiple punches have been thrown, and the Briscoes face scrutiny from all over the town of Olympus. Can they change the course of events around them? Can they change themselves? Do they want to?

This is a dark, brooding, dramatic book and I was completely hooked from start to finish. I love books about family dysfunction, and this family was seriously screwed up!! But for the most part, the characters were sympathetic, and I needed to know how Stacey Swann would resolve everything.

The description of the book talks about how elements of classic mythology are woven into the plot. I don’t know much about mythology so that passed me by, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story. So glad I finally read this!!

Book Review: "Cinderella is Dead" by Kalynn Bayron

Cinderella is Dead is a unique and empowering retelling of the classic fairytale.

The kingdom of Lille was where Cinderella met her prince more than 200 years ago. And although true love ignited the flame back then, the kingdom is now ruled by evil, fear, and violence, especially toward women. All teenage girls are expected to go to the annual ball, where they hope a suitor will choose them. If they are not picked by a man at three successive balls, they are given up by their families, sold as slaves, or even killed.

While there seems to be no choice for her, Sophia is fighting it all the way. She’s never dreamed of being Cinderella—she’d much rather marry a princess, anyway. But her heart is set on her best friend Erin, even though that would never be allowed in Lille or by their families, and there really is no way to escape the clutches of the king.

The night of the ball, when things go awry, she escapes, and the king demands she be found. He enacts cruelty after cruelty to try and flush her out. When hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum one night, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her stepsisters. Constance is desperate to learn the real story of her family.

Together, Sophia and Constance vow to destroy the king and make him pay for his treatment of women. But along the way they learn the truth behind Cinderella’s story—and some truths about themselves as well.

It’s been a long while since I’ve read fantasy, but this hooked me pretty quickly. While not a lot of attention is paid to world-building, the characters and the story are very vivid, and I could see it unfolding in my mind’s eye. I liked the twist of a Black teenage lesbian challenging the myth of Cinderella.

But while the story is creative and I loved the message, there was a bit more telling than showing. I’ve always talked about hating the part in superhero movies where the villain details their master plan and why they seek vengeance. There was a little of that here, too. But still, Cinderella is Dead is unique and enjoyable and I was hooked.

Book Review: "Ramón and Julieta" by Alana Quintana Albertson

After reading this fun, steamy, romantic retelling of Romeo and Juliet (without the tragic part), I’ve decided that there should be a sub-genre of books called “Books Not to Be Read on an Empty Stomach.” I have read so many to put in that classification, and this book had my stomach growling late at night!!

Ramón Montez is the dutiful son of the scion of a fast-food empire. He’s always been willing to help his father, and the company has set its sights on a Taco King in Barrio Logan, the center of the Chicano movement in San Diego in the 1970s. The neighborhood has resisted until now.

One night, at a Day of the Dead party, Ramón, dressed up as a mariachi, hooks up with a beautiful woman. It turns out this woman—with whom he has intense chemistry—is none other than celebrity chef Julieta Campos, whose struggling taqueria now has Ramón as its landlord.

But to make matters worse, the Montez and Campos families have decades of bad blood between them, all because Ramón’s father once stole Julieta’s mother’s taco recipe and destroyed her career.

Can they truly ignore the passion between them, however? Do they choose family loyalty over true love? I so enjoyed this look into this culture, to the gentrification battle being fought in Barrio Logan, and the characters in this book. And how can you resist a book which is, at its heart, about love and tacos?

Many thanks to BookSparks and Berkley for inviting me on the tour for Ramón and Julieta and providing me a complimentary copy of the book as part of #WRC2022!

Book Review: "Beautiful Little Fools" by Jillian Cantor

The latest novel from Jillian Cantor, Beautiful Little Fools is a fantastic retelling of The Great Gatsby through the eyes of three female characters in the book.

“I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

The Great Gatsby is one of my absolute favorite books ever—so much so that my first dog’s middle name was even Gatsby. This book was one I’ve been eagerly anticipating since learning about it last year, and after devouring it yesterday I’m happy to say it more than lived up to my expectations.

In the summer of 1922, Jay Gatsby is shot to death in his West Egg swimming pool. Police believe he was killed by George Wilson, who took his own life shortly thereafter, so the case is quickly closed. But when a diamond hairpin is found at the scene of Gatsby's murder, one detective believes the murder could actually have been perpetrated by one of three women—Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, or Catherine McCoy, Myrtle Wilson’s sister and George's sister-in-law.

The book looks at the lives of the three women, how Jay Gatsby came into their lives and, ultimately, what chaos he caused that might have pushed them to murder him. It’s a fascinating retelling because it brings so much added depth and takes the focus off Nick Carraway, who narrated the original book.

I absolutely loved Beautiful Little Fools. What a creative idea that still felt very true to Fitzgerald’s original novel, yet with some angles he wouldn’t have explored back then. While it's helpful to have read the original book, I don't know if you have to, because this is a different story in many ways.

This was so excellent!

Book Review: "How to Survive a Modern-Day Fairy Take" by Elle Cruz

How about a retelling of Cinderella with a diverse cast? Try How to Survive a Modern-Day Fairy Tale.

Claire loves her job at a bookstore, but her dream is to start a cookie decorating business. That’s where her talents lie. However, her demanding Filipino family can’t understand why someone so smart wants such a silly job.

When she has a meet-cute with Nate, a handsome, rich CEO and restaurant owner (although Claire almost hit him with her car), he quickly tries to sweep her off her feet. She is definitely smitten but she can’t believe someone like Nate would be interested in someone like her, no matter how hard he tries to convince her.

Can Nate and Claire’s relationship weather her family’s skepticism and demands, as well as Claire’s doubts? Can she find her way to the life she’s always dreamed of? (What do you think?)

This was a fun, sweet romp of a book. Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!

Book Review: "A Spindle Splintered" by Alix E. Harrow

Are you up for a feminist, subversive retelling of Sleeping Beauty? I’m all in for Alix Harrow's A Spindle Splintered.

⁣ ⁣ “Sleeping Beauty is pretty much the worst fairy tale, any way you slice it. It’s aimless and amoral and chauvinist as shit.”⁣

⁣ Zinnia Gray is turning 21. She’s dying of something called General Roseville Malady, a disease about which little is known except that no one has lived past the age of 21. Zinnia has always been obsessed with fairy tales and, because of her illness, was able to graduate high school early and attend college, where she studied in the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology.⁣

⁣ For what is expected to be her last birthday, her best friend Charm goes all out, throwing her a Sleeping Beauty-themed party in an abandoned tower, complete with spinning wheel. Of course, Zinnia pricks her finger, but instead of falling asleep (or dying), she finds herself in another world, a modern traveler in a fairy tale kingdom of sorts, where another cursed princess is in need of her help.⁣

⁣ This was so freaking creative, fun, poignant, and beautifully done. I love retellings and this one really just hooked me completely. My understanding is that this is the start of a series of novellas Harrow will write and I’m here for them.⁣

⁣ This is a definite Bookstagram made me do it (or more specifically, my friend Deedi made me do it), and I’m so grateful!!⁣

Book Review: "Anna K" by Jenny Lee

Anna K is a retelling of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, set among rich, privileged teenagers of New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut society.

Anna is the beautiful, smart daughter of a powerful South Korean businessman. She mostly prefers the company of her horses and show dogs to the society elite, so she attends a fancy prep school in Connecticut, as opposed to her older brother, Steven, who attends a private school in New York City.

Anna has been dating Alexander since she was 14 and he was a few years older. He now attends Yale and has his future mapped out, including marrying Anna. This is a perfect match society-wise. Anna really does love Alexander and can see spending the rest of her life with him. But sometimes she wonders whether something is missing, something more exciting.

When she meets Alexia Vronsky, she realizes that something has been missing from her relationship with Alexander. From the moment the two set eyes on each other, they are physically and emotionally drawn together. Anna knows that Alexia has a reputation as a womanizer—he’s allegedly called “the Count” because you can’t count how many girls want to be with him—but even though she knows her future is supposed to be with Alexander, she can’t stay away from Vronsky. Does she do what is right, what is expected, or does she follow her heart?

The book follows the pair’s tempestuous relationship along with other romantic duos. There’s scandal, sex, lots of drugs, and outrageous spending, not to mention a great deal of melodrama. There are elements of so many other stories and movies in here, which makes it compelling even though I felt the book moved fairly slowly.

Do you need to have read Anna Karenina? No, I haven't, and it didn't detract from my being immersed in the story. Jenny Lee shares in her author's notes some general plot points and how they parallel her story.

This is the first YA book I’d say parents should really read first to determine whether it’s right for your kids given all of the drugs, mostly. And if you’re looking for a light read, this isn’t it!