Tuesday 26 July 2016

F*CK! I'm In My Twenties

- Emma Koenig

"Everyone has that moment-- the realization that adulthood has arrived, like a runaway train, and there's no getting out of its way. In an attempt to express the contradictions and anxieties that come with being over-educated, minimally employed, mostly single, and on your own, Emma Koenig turned to blogosphere..." - Taken from the back of the book.

Let me start off by saying that this was a nice break from heavier, more plot filled reads. F*CK! I'm In My Twenties is perfect for those looking for a quick, light, summer read. Not to mention that it is both humorous and relatable.

This read seems to have perfectly captured the fact that despite what the laws may say, being in your 20's isn't an automatic adult pass. I'm sorry to say, but despite what you might think or feel, you are not the exception to the rule, and that's okay, that's a realization that everyone will come to eventually. You are not the only who does not have their shit together.

Predictably, even with the good things, comes the bad things. I liked this read for a few reasons, but that doesn't mean that it was above being disliked for a few reasons as well. There were a lot of porn/sex jokes, which personally, made me feel uncomfortable, and more than a few of the jokes made fell flat. However, due to the fact that this book is essentially a mock autobiography made up of weird drawings, this can be excused.

All in all, I'd recommend this book to those willing to read it. Ultimately, the choice is yours, and all I can do is sincerely encourage you to keep warm & read.

Monday 11 July 2016

Don't You Cry.

- Mary Kubica.

"It's dark by the time I leave the apartment of Nicholas Keller. It's darker than dark. It's pitch-black, a starless November night, the sky an inky black." - Taken directly from the book.

Let me start off by saying that according to the blurbs on this book, this story was "rightfully" compared to the likes of, Single White Female and Gone Girl. The story was good, the twists unsuspecting, the suspense was done well, but I wouldn't compare it to either of the two pieces mentioned above. Though, I can certainly see where the author got her inspiration from.

This story is told from two separate perspectives, forcing us (the readers) to piece together what we can from the hints and clues discovered (or ignored, or grossly overexaggerated) by the two protagonists; Quinn, a young woman who works at a job she hates, and an unreliable roommate to the now missing Esther Vaughan, as well as Alex, a kid in a dead end town, working a dead end job, who's only form of entertainment is gawking at the town's newest drifter.

If I'm being brutally honest, as someone who enjoys reading in first person narrative, I'm disheartened to admit that Kubica could have done a much better job. Instead of using this as a tool to grant the readers a better insight into the characters minds and allow for us to relate better to them on a deeper, more emotional level, the experience was slightly stilted and awkward due to the switch in perspectives and forced use of descriptive/fake deep/poetic wording.

That being said, the mystery of EV versus Esther Vaughan was most definitely an interesting one. The notion that these two strangers are connected by this one woman that neither of them truly know, yet once thought that they did so well, was what kept me reading until the very end despite the hiccups along the way. How Kubica managed to seamlessly tie together these two stories that although obviously connected in some way, still left the readers guessing as to what exactly was going on leading up to the final ten or so pages, rightfully deserves applaud.

All in all, this was a good read, the story was interesting if not drawn out and slightly annoying in parts. I would most definitly recommend this as a light summer read, but don't expect it to get your heaert racing or palms sweaty. In the end though, this is only my opinion, and so I encourage you all to form your own, and keep warm & read.

Reviews will be posted twice monthly. Once near the beginning of the month, and then again near the end.