April 2023 Mini Reviews - part 2
Published: 14th December 2017 by HQ
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
I have pretty consistently enjoyed Armentrout's works previously, both her other contemporaries and her fantasy works, so I was quite sure it would be the same case with If There's No Tomorrow, and it was! I was slightly worried that it would read as too juvenile, considering it is a YA novel concerning first love, but Armentrout's writing remained strong and didn't simplify anything. In fact, the way in which she covered such sensitive topics like grief and survivor's guilt felt very thoughtful and nuanced, not at all reading like a PSa for drunk-driving that I thought it might. I found myself being genuinely moved by Lena's vulnerability and eventual acceptance of her flaws. In terms of the romance, the chemistry between Sebastian and Lena worked so well for me because they remained friends first and foremost, and used that as an incredibly strong foundation for their budding romance, which I was a massive fan of. I really liked this, another strong novel from Armentrout.
4 stars
No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby
Published: 2nd March 2023 by Aria & Aries
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
This book was so much fun! I think the turn of the century into the 1900s, right before the end of Queen Victoria's reign, is such an interesting time period to have for a setting, and it felt refreshing for this to be set outside of London as I feel like we rarely get a more rural Victorian perspective! Violet as a protagonist felt very relatable, despite being brought up in a society far removed from today, and I admired her determination to remain marriageless throughout, until the right person came along, and even then her priority to become a Lady Detective remained first and foremost. No Life for a Lady did feel quite slow-paced at times, and I would've loved a bit more action compared to the constant irritations Violet faced with Mr. Knight, but overall it kept me very entertained.
3.5 stars
In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira
Published: 6th March 2018 by Hot Key Books
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
I hadn't really heard anything about this, but Dellaira's debut, Love Letters to the Dead, was really popular when it was first published and was meant to be very good, so I hoped this would be too. I really liked the concept of this, of following a mother and daughter both at the age of 17, such a formative time in someone's life, and how their own relationships with their respective mothers, boyfriends, and families have shaped them as people so strongly, for better or worse. This structure of the dual narrative compelled me to keep reading, too, as I wanted the mystery of James, Angie's father and Marilyn's boyfriend, to be solved as to his disappearance, and while the answer was brutal I do think it highlighted the very present issues of police brutality and institutional racism, while also portraying the aftereffects of someone so important being missing from their lives. I definitely want to go back and read Dellaira's debut from this now.
3.5 stars
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
Published: 2nd March 2023 by Vintage
I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.
This book honestly blew me away - I went into it having heard a lot of buzz surrounding it, and seeing that it was longlisted for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction I can tell you the accolade is very well deserved. I instantly became immersed in the story of Yamaye and her friends, and the setting of the outskirts of London in the late 1970s, where these young black people really had to fight for survive. Unfortunately, some didn't, and my heart broke for Yamaye at the loss of Moose and the way that her life completely changed in the blink of an eye - the portrayal of her constantly feeling on edge, with the police surveilling her and the ridiculous laws that were in place that threatened people's way of life was so powerfully displayed in Fire Rush. Yamaye's strength throughout was admirable, and witnessing her finally achieve some semblance of freedom felt very cathartic, and especially how it linked to the title of the novel - something I always enjoy seeing the link to.
4 stars
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