Preview Thoughts: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

The Forbidden Wish

by Jessica Khoury

Temporary rating: 5 stars

Preview provided by Netgally in exchange for a honest review.

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

"When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.  

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury."

*****

This book will be epic!

Most of the time I don’t read previews because, you know, it’s hard to stop abruptly when you’re enjoying something, but I had to read this one because this book sounds amazing!

This preview has only a few chapters, but I can tell the writing and the plot are fantastic. This is the first time I read something by this author, and I’m so happy this was the book! Her storytelling is incredible! I adored how the book feels like a tale the jinni is telling to her long dead friend. The one she apparently betrayed.

Now, can I tell you about Aladdin? Oh my God! I don’t need to read the whole book to know he’s a gorgeous character! He’s a thief, yeah, he’s tough, and he’s so charming!

And the jinni?  She’s spectacular! She’s old; she’s smoke, she shape-shifts.

I adored that this book doesn’t seem to be focused only in these characters. There’s the hint of a rebellion, there’s a fight for freedom, there’s an amazing group of warrior girls…

Oh boy, I can’t wait to finish this book! It has everything to be one of the best of the year! 

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Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Mosquitoland

by David Arnold

My rating: 4 stars

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the "wastelands" of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.

So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.

Told in an unforgettable, kaleidoscopic voice, "Mosquitoland" is a modern American odyssey, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.

****

 

The synopsis says that this book is like a modern odyssey and I truly, deeply believe it.

I didn’t became the biggest fan of this book, like I thought I would (though 4 stars is a high rating), but the thing I can’t deny is its awesomeness.

I’ve said before that my two favorite things about a book are the characters and the writing. I’m not afraid of those larger-than-life characters. I don’t mind too-smart characters. I love sarcasm and wit and those were things I could easily find in Mosquitoland.

This book is about Mim’s journey to find her mother. On the way there, she finds different people, every one of them odder than the last one. Mim makes a few friends and a few enemies. There were some amazing conversations and some big chunks of, let’s say “monologues.”

This book also shows us some letters that Mim writes to someone called Isabel. Sometimes, those letters were the things I couldn’t wait to read. They have information about Mim’s past and some cute illustrations I enjoyed watching.

You see, I really enjoyed the format of this book and Mim’s voice.

As for the romance… wow, I’m not sure if that was a romance or not, though Mim was sure she felt in love with someone she met three days ago… Which sounds like insta-love and didn’t, in any moment, felt like it.

Now you can say from all this rambling that this book was complicated. I don’t even know how to put into words how amazing it was.

The only reason I’m not giving this one 5 stars is because I felt the first half was a little slow. I even wanted to skip some pages.

But if you’re looking for a DIVERSE book, Mosquitoland is one of the best. Did I mention that one of the main characters is someone with Down Syndrome? Yes! And he was the cutest!

Mosquitoland is a touching and heartbreaking book with unusually awesome characters, a not-so reliable narrator and a great plot.

You should give it a try! 

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Soundless by Richelle Mead

Soundless

by Richelle Mead

Source: ARC for review thanks to Kim.

My Rating: 4 stars

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation. 

One girl hears a call to action… 

Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.

She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever… 

And unlocks a power that will save her people.

****

I’m not the biggest fan of Richelle Mead. In fact, I haven’t finished the VA series and I spoiled myself when I read the first Bloodlines book (don’t kill me, fortunately I’ve forgotten a lot).

However, when I first heard about Soundless I was dying to read it. Even though my friends’ reviews weren’t amazing, I still wanted to read it because I loved everything I knew about this book.

Now I can’t say that I’m disappointed but I’m not that freaking excited anymore.

Soundless was a great book but it felt more like a “tale” than a “book”. You might think I’m crazy but I felt calm while reading it. I took seriously the mute thing and pictured signs and gestures instead of voices. Soundless felt vivid and cute.  

The problem is that this book didn’t amaze me. It was kind of predictable and linear. I never had a jab-dropping moment. Also, many situations of the story were hard, but I didn’t feel the emotional impact.

The main character was good and strong, but also a little plain. I understood Fei’s situation, though many times I wanted to kick her ass. Mostly when it came to Li Wei, the love interest.

I’ve read many people complaining about the world-building. It wasn’t a problem for me because like I said, it felt like a tale and I don’t need a big world-building in tales.

Overall, if you want to read Soundless, approach it like a fast passed read. Don’t expect too much and you’ll be able to enjoy it. I did. 

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ARC Review: Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

Dreamland

by Robert L. Anderson

Source: eARC provided by Publisher. Thank you!

My Rating: 3 stars.

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Odea Donahue has been able to travel through people’s dreams since she was six years old. Her mother taught her the three rules of walking: Never interfere. Never be seen. Never walk the same person’s dream more than once. Dea has never questioned her mother, not about the rules, not about the clocks or the mirrors, not about moving from place to place to be one step ahead of the unseen monsters that Dea’s mother is certain are right behind them.

Then a mysterious new boy, Connor, comes to town and Dea finally starts to feel normal. As Connor breaks down the walls that she’s had up for so long, he gets closer to learning her secret. For the first time she wonders if that’s so bad. But when Dea breaks the rules, the boundary between worlds begins to deteriorate. How can she know what’s real and what’s not?

***

It took me forever to read this book. It wasn’t the book’s fault, of course, but mine for being so busy.

I think sometimes the time it takes you to read a book ends up affecting your feeling about it.

As I was emotionally detached of Dreamland, I have to say it was an ‘enjoyable’ read.

The premise of this book was amazing, Dea, the main character is a girl with the ability to enter someone else’s dreams. Her mother is like her, so Dea grew up with many rules, moving for place to place without an explanation, but aware of her abilities.

The beginning of this book promised amazing things until Connor, the enigmatic new boy appeared. It felt like a cliché.

Soon, Dea’s world started moving around Connor.

If I don’t count the romance, which I didn’t like, Robert L. Anderson created a fantastic and terrific “dream world”.

Those dreams and nightmares were marvelous and somehow felt real.

Dreamland was a fast-passed read with a lot of mysteries and action.

Even if some things felt cliché, the paranormal twists (if I can call it that way), were amazing, even unexpected.

The characters were well done and they’re dynamics and conversations felt natural.

Overall, even if I didn’t feel connection with the book and didn’t find anything remarkable, Dreamland is a good read. 

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Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor

by Lucy Christopher

My Rating: 5 stars

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? 

The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

*****

I read this book a few weeks ago when a friend came to town and let me borrow her copy. It’s always been in my “mental TBR pile” because I don’t remember if I ever add it to GoodReads or talked with someone about it, but as soon as I read the first page, I knew this book was a gem.

I don’t know what I was expecting; I guess something like Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher, which is the only book about kidnap that I’ve read. But Stolen was so much more different, so well written and… THE FEELINGS!!!!

I’ve read a few books by Aussie authors, so I know they put some kind of magic in their words, their characters, their settings.

Stolen is “a letter to Gemma’s captor” and I really believed it was a letter because the writing was SIMPLE and at the same time it was stunning and elegant.

You know from the beginning that you’ll feel sympathy for Ty, the captor, but it’s not a blind sympathy, it’s something inevitable. What I didn’t expect at all was how much I loved the setting.

The setting became like a third main character. It’s so magical and beautiful, it’s like you can see through Gemma’s eyes and felt in love with every part of it.

I love that I enjoyed this book so much even if it was only Gemma and Ty the whole book together. It shows that it isn’t necessary a lot of characters to make a story memorable. It shows that a book doesn’t need a colossal forbidden romance to make a story romantic.

Okay, I might not make sense; I’m literally translating my thoughts.

What I’m trying to say is that I felt in love with Stolen. It’s such a powerful story that deserves every compliment I can think of.

So, if you are reading this and still haven’t read Stolen: do it soon, my friend, you won’t be disappointed.

 

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