Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins REVIEW

My Thoughts:

Haymitch Abernathy turns 16 this year on Reaping Day, but he isn't too scared of being picked. He lives with his mother and brother, Sid, in District 12. When the original pick for one of the boys was killed during the ceremony, Haymitch is picked due to his interference with a Peacekeeper who was going after his girlfriend, Lenore. The district kids' mentors are Wiress and Mags, due to the lack of living winners in District 12. While training, he meets Beetee, who shows him how to make electricity with potatoes, and gives him tips on how to potentially destroy the arena when the guards aren't watching. When his ally, Louella, dies before the games, Haymitch starts not to care about pissing off the president. Throughout the games, he doesn't hesitate to try to use Beetee and Plutarch's tips about the arena. When he returns home after winning, Haymitch finds his home ablaze with his family stuck inside. Later on, he witnesses Lenore die from eating poisoned candy that he recognizes must have been from the president. Vowing not to let anyone else be killed because of him, he cuts off all his remaining friends and stays in seclusion in the Victor's Village.

This book gave me so many emotions. At one point, I was smiling, only to shed tears moments later. I like that we finally get the names of Katniss's parents, and the story of Haymitch being friends with her dad prior to the games. The inclusion of Beetee, Plutarch, Wiress, and Mags was incredible. Beetee's story here was tragic, as he was being punished by the president by being forced to mentor his son prior to the games. Plutarch has infiltrated the Capitol and is attempting to figure out ways to start the revolution, although his efforts don't work out yet. At the ending of the games, I wonder if Wiress and Mags were tortured by the Capitol, who thought they helped Haymitch try to sabotage them. I absolutely adore this book and it is a must read.

My Rating: 5 stars

Butter by Asako Yuzuki REVIEW

Summary:

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination, but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew, and Kajii can't resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a master class in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii, but it seems that Rika might be the one changing. Do she and Kajii have more in common than she once thought?

My Thoughts:

Rika is a journalist who is consumed by her work. She either eats ramen or pre-made food from the convenience store, and her relationship with her boyfriend is distant at best. She's been writing to Kajii, hoping to get an exclusive interview, with no luck. But when she asks her for a recipe, Kajii suddenly becomes interested and wants to talk. Obsessed with trying to get Kajii to talk about her upcoming trial for her crimes, Rika ends up sucked into her world of cooking, and even starts to wonder if Kajii is even guilty at all . . .

This book was very slow to get into, which I'm not sure if it was the translation or the writing style. The main character is the average hard worker, and it's interesting to see all of this from her perspective. She becomes almost brainwashed by Kajii in her hunt for the truth, and it's easy to see why. Kajii can be very charismatic and convincing. Rika's best friend sees through this though, and tries to get her to see this as well. This is the most compelling part of the book, and shows how easily someone can be brainwashed. That almost makes up for how difficult it was to get through this novel.

My Rating: 2 stars

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver REVIEW

Summary:

Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart. One he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiancée and his derailed surgical career. It's a simpler life: head down, hard work, and absolutely no romantic relationships. He wants none of the circus he left behind in Boston. But then the real circus finds him.

Motorcycle performer Rose Evans has spent a decade on the road with the Silveria Circus, and it suits her just fine, especially when she has the urge to indulge in a little murder when she's not in the spotlight. But when a kill goes awry and she ends up with a broken leg, Rose finds herself stuck in Nebraska, at the home of the adorably nerdy town doctor. The problem is, not every broken heart can be sewn back together . . . and the longer you stay in one place, the more likely your ghosts will catch up.

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting switch-up from the last couple books. While Rose is a killer, she doesn't really have the stomach for gore. She has a booth set up at the circus where she reads tarot, and whenever a woman in an abusive relationship comes for a reading, Rose plans to help them with murdering the partner. But when she fails to complete a kill, she ends up at Fionn's door needing help with a broken leg. Fionn isn't really a killer, but he helps out his brothers who are killers. Even so, he has a darkness inside him that he's constantly keeping at bay, and has been for years. Then Rose shows up, rocking his world upside-down. They originally agree to a friends-with-benefits deal, but as they spend more time together, feelings start to pop up.

This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the constant banter between our two main characters, and their eventual romance felt like it happened at a realistic pace. The characters from the previous books show up a few times, which felt like such a treat! My only real complaint was that there wasn't that much murder.

My Rating: 4 stars

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica REVIEW

Summary:

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

My Thoughts:

This was a really cool look at a post-apocalyptic cult. The narrator, whose name we don't know, is recounting her life at the Sacred Sisterhood, as well as her memories from before she was there. She is part of the Unworthy - which the Superior Sister and their "God" never let them forget. The higher ranks are the Chosen, the Minor Saints, the Aura, and the Enlightened. When an Unworthy does something wrong, the Superior Sister gleefully partakes in punishing them - whether it's a whipping or death. The narrator partakes in these inhumane customs, and even sometimes enjoys it. But when Lucia joins the Sisterhood, everything changes. Lucia is strong and doesn't let the other Unworthy humiliate her. Our narrator slowly falls in love with her, and then Lucia is given the rank of Enlightened. Unable to stomach the thought of being without Lucia, she plans to break her out of her room and escape together.

As always, I enjoyed the writing style and concept. A doomsday cult that formed after Doomsday. It also reads like a subtle critique of organized religion. The need to constantly call yourself unworthy of good things, the corruption in leadership, and violence. The critique is extremely hidden within the text, as the story of a dystopian future takes the center stage. I do wish that the novel was longer (it is less than 200 pages) and that we got to know a little more about what it was like in the world outside of the cult.

My Rating: 4 stars

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem REVIEW

Summary:

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic was outlawed. Its royal family murdered. At least, that's what Sylvia wants people to believe. The Heir of Jasad escaped the massacre, and she intends to stay hidden, especially from the armies of Nizahl that continue to hunt her people.

But a moment of anger changes everything. When Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi to her village, Sylvia accidentally reveals her magic - and captures his attention. Now Sylvia's forced to make a deal with her greatest enemy: Help him hunt the rebels in exchange for her life.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can't let Arin discover her identity, even as hatred shifts into something more between the Heirs. And as the tides change around her, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she abandoned.

My Thoughts:

Sylvia is such a compelling character, even more so than other main characters of similar stories. She is the sole survivor of the royal family, and intends to hide her identity for as long as she lives. When a young child is in danger from the Omal Heir's temper, Sylvia lashes out in anger, accidentally exposing her magic. While no one knows her identity, they know she is Jasadi. In exchange for her life, Arin wants her to be his Champion in the upcoming games. He hopes to draw out the rebels with her in the spotlight. With no other option, she agrees.

I really like how fast-paced yet character-driven this book is, as well as how the author writes. If I didn't know before I started reading, I never would have guessed that this was the author's first book. I also really like Sefa and Marek, Sylvia's friends. They really balance out the dynamics. The slow-burn romance between Sylvia and Arin is very believable. They don't even admit their feelings for each other until the end. The only real complaint I have is not really knowing much of anything about Jasad and the in-depth reasons why they were targeted. I get that we learn them while Sylvia does, but Jasad feels more like a legendary kingdom than one that existed until a decade prior. I hope this gets resolved with the next book.

My Rating: 3 stars