![Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A book review]()
Drama, review, YA |
I generally am not a fan of books about a chronically ill person aka Sick-lit, especially when it comes to young adult books. It has been done so many times and I am just tired of it. Yet, I picked up Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, all thanks to the gorgeous cover. How it fare on my scale? Read to know more.
About the book
Book Name: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse Andrews
Genre: Fiction – Drama, Young Adult
Characters: Greg Gaines, Earl Jackson, Rachel Kushner
Setting: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The USA
The plot
Greg Gaines is the master of moderation in his high school. He just wants to blend to the wallpaper and is a friend of everyone so that he doesn’t have to be friends to anyone in particular. His only true and close friend is Earl Jackson.
Greg and Earl bonded over making movies, their version of foreign classic movies. They know that their movies are not good and not for others’ view.
Everything changes when Greg’s mother pushes him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel. Rachel Kushner has been recently diagnosed with leukemia and she is dying.
What happens when the duo is forced to make a movie for the dying girl, forms the rest of the Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews.
My initial thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, dying girls and grief stricken boyfriends are definitely not my cup of tea. Well, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is not about that. The book is hilarious at parts, funny in other parts and meh among the others. And it is entirely upon the reader on finding what makes them laugh.
Yes, the dialogs are witty, sometimes crude and vulgar. But nothing more than what teens would be speaking.
What I loved about the book is that Greg doesn’t end up becoming Rachel’s best friend or boyfriend and speak the philosophies of life. He is still the crude teen that doesn’t want to befriend anyone else but Earl.
I really liked Earl and his over the top brothers. I love his earnestness and him wanting to help his mother as much as possible.
What worked for me
- The characters behave their age and are realistic. Greg doesn’t become a romantic nor Earl becomes a star, overnight.
- Mostly the book is funny and witty. Most of the time. Even when it doesn’t, the format keeps it interesting.
- There is no romance angle, so that is a yay from me.
What may have been better
- I love self deprecating humor but there is a thing called overload. At some point when the “wittiness” falls flat and the tone lackluster.
- If Greg is gonna say that this is a stupid book one more time, I might have lost it.
Bottom line
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews is a hilarious young adult book involving a cancer patient but doesn’t revolve around her. Read it for the mostly funny writing and eccentric characters.
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![Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A book review]()
Drama, review |
Have you ever picked up a book, and within minutes you know that it is going to stay with you for a long time? One such book for me would be Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Read my book review of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi to know how it fared for me.
The first time I heard about Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi was in 2018. Immediately, I knew there was only two ways this could end for me – either I am going to hate it and DNF, or I am gonna find a book that would recommend the heck of it to everyone I know.
About the book
Book Name: Homegoing
Author: Yaa Gyasi
Genre: Fiction – Drama, History, Literary
Characters: Maame, Cobbe Otcher, Effia Otcher, James Collins, Quey Collins, Nana Yaa Yeboah, James Richard Collins, Akosua Mensah, Abena Collins, Ohene Nyarko, Akua Collins, Asamoah Agyekum, Yaw Agyekum, Esther Amoah, Marjorie Agyekum; Big Man Assare, Esi Assare, Ness Stockham, Sam, Kojo Freeman, Anna Foster, H Black, Ethe Jackson, Eli Dalton, Willie Black, Robert Clifton, Carson Clifton, Amani Zulema, Marcus Clifton
Setting: Ghana, Africa, Alabama, The USA
The plot
The book begins in the eighteenth century Ghana where the slave trade by the whites is at its peak. Effia and Esi are half-sisters born in different villages in Ghana. And it is through the lives of their descendants that we get a glimpse of history of Black lives in Africa and America over the centuries.
Effia becomes the mistress to an Englishman and lives in the comparative comfort of his castle, where unbeknownst to her, Esi among thousands of other African slaves is entrapped and sold to the America.
Esi and her family form the American history as a part of Alabama’s cotton plantations, Civil War, the coal mining and the twentieth century’s Harlem dope houses, to the present day. On the other hand, Effia and her descendants stay back in the continent to initially take part in the slave trade enthusiastically to finally fight their enslavers over the course of generations.
To know more about this family saga coupled with the history of Black lives in America and the slave trade in Ghana, you will have to read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.
My initial thoughts
First off I have to say Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is going to be painful, hard and intense. This plot driven multi-generational family saga has too many characters and many African words to be an easy read.
The chapters are quite short, as is the book itself, and for a few it might read like a collection of short stories.
Okay now that I have warned you about everything that could put you off and have done my part to cast away the weak hearted’s, let us talk about Homegoing earnestly.
The subject matter of this semi autobiography, a risk you take when reading an Own Voice book, is the history of slavery and the drastic mistreatment of the Blacks over the centuries. True to the nature of the subject, Homegoing is painful and makes you wonder if we have moved forward at all.
Homegoing follows the seven generations of Effia and Esi alternatively, over two continents Africa and America – that is fourteen perspectives with our 250 years cover ground. And Yaa Gyasi does it effortlessly and so intricately in about 300 pages that I can’t believe that it is her debut novel.
We believe the one who has power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history, you must ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too. From there you get a clearer, yet still imperfect, picture.
Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing
Personal rambling
I would go as far as telling that Homegoing had such an impact in me that I, not only had a book hangover for the next two days but also made me introspect on the effect of British oppression had on us as Indians and me as a person, in such a way that I had never thought of before.
My heart broke when Marcus tries to find his ancestors and could only reach till his grandfather H. I wished I could tell him the tales of his forefathers and that he finally reached his place in Ghana. Rarely, I get all emotional over books and I keep it objective and the point in my review, but guys, this book!!
In reality, that is literally what was done to him and the other millions of Blacks, we have uprooted them for personal gains, erased their history, not to speak of the atrocities their ancestors had to go through as slaves and second and third class citizens, and now we are still shooting them cuz of the color of their skin.
What worked for me
- I loved how each story connected to the next generation so that we don’t miss the flow at all. I loved how the stone traveled generations to reach the other half of the family.
- The writing was simple but yet so empathetic. It was so realistic that it made me feel like I know Ghana and the coal mines in Alabama, personally.
- The way the slavery and colonialism, racism and the violence of it all were written made an impact in me that my history texts never it.
- I loved that everyone I know who read this book had a different favorite character. Each of them were so well written that I can’t pick one how much ever I tried.
What may have been better
- I wish the stories of the recent generations were little bit longer. Obviously, they were great as they are but I just wanted to spend a little more time knowing them.
- If you are not a fan of plot driven books, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi may not work for you.
Bottom line
If you are mildly interested in knowing the history of slavery, British colonialism or history of Black slaves in the USA, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi should be your choice.
This historical fiction about seven generation family saga will satisfy both your fictional and history thirst! I will be reading more from the author definitely.
Go pick Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi already. Get your quota of reading towards Black lives matter and books by BIPOC about BIPOC or whatever other counts you have, but READ THIS BOOK.
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![Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A book review]()
review, Thriller, YA |
How do you choose between an engaging plot and a compelling writing, if you can have only one of them? Tough call, right? Welcome to my hell and with that thought in your mind let us review Sadie by Courtney Summers.
About the book
Book Name: Sadie
Author: Courtney Summers
Genre: Fiction – Thriller, Young Adult
Characters: Sadie and Mattie Hunter
Setting: Colorado, The USA
The plot
Sadie and Mattie knew what it is to be left to fend for themselves, and as an elder sister Sadie had always been hard Mattie to protect her from the world as she knew it. But when Mattie is found dead and no one would help them, Sadie had to take things in her own hands in finding out who did that to her.
But then Sadie went missing too. The consensus was she went chasing her sister’s killer and no one knows anything about it.
Now, over a year after Mattie’s body was found, West McCray is hosting an investigative reporting podcast called The Girls and attempts to solve the case of Mattie’s death (and finding Sadie) by following Sadie’s journey.
Where does this investigation unearth? Did Sadie find the killer? Does it ends well for the team and Sadie? Well, you will have to read Sadie by Courtney Summers to know more.
My initial thoughts
The book Sadie follows two narratives – the podcast by West McCray in the present day (which hooked me in right from the minute go) and Sadie’s point of view, which didn’t work for me.
Sure there were a lot of sad things happening and there are characters that are super interesting. But somehow I never felt engrossed in Sadie’s narrative nor it impacted me, as much as it should have.
Do not get me wrong, the plot itself was just interesting and predictable. And I am ok with that, but the point that the storyline was not engaging me emotionally was a huge let down for me.
But the author’s compelling writing style kept me involved until the end. Talking of the ending, it may not work for all, some may feel disappointed even, but for me worked so well.
What I loved the most about Sadie was the characters, that were well developed and had so much depth. Be it Sadie’s stuttering and her intense need to be protective of her sister, or Mattie’s naivete or hopefulness, made me root for their turbulent relationship.
Sadie deals with hard and intense subjects like sexual abuse, pedophilia and child pornography, abandonment and neglect by parents. But Ms Summers has done a great job in keeping it still appropriate for a young adult audience (well, the upper limits of YA/NA) as well as adults.
What worked for me
- I loved Summers’ compelling and readable writing style.
- The characters and their detailing were perfect. I loved the multi faceted characters.
- One more round of applause for not making it gory with details about the rape/murder/pedophilia issues, given that its YA or NA audience.
- Despite that it might have been hit or miss, I personally loved the ending. In fact, I would have been disappointed if it would have ended any other way, having read the current ending.
What may have been better
- I wish the storyline was more engaging and emotionally involving me.
Bottom line
If you are looking a young/new adult thriller with an interesting premise, Sadie might be a good pick. Just heed to the warning about the subject matter, especially if you are younger by age and heart.
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![Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A book review]()
Drama, review |
I picked Daisy Jones & The Six mainly because Bookstagrammers kept posting raving reviews about it. Despite being recommended to pick the audiobook, I picked the physical copy. Did I make the right choice? Let us check how did that turn out for me, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: Daisy Jones & The Six
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Fiction – Romance, History
Characters: Daisy Jones, Billy and Graham Dunne, Camila Dunne, Simone, Warren, Eddie, Karen, Teddy Price
Setting: Los Angeles,The USA
The plot
Daisy grows up as a precocious young girl with absentee parents and a love for music. As she turns twenty her voice gets her the recognition she was craving for. But what she wants to do is write songs, rather than sing them.
Billy and Graham Dunne start a band called Dunne brothers with few of their friends and are slowly in the rise to their stardom.
Soon Billy is addicted to pills, alcohol and other women, and it is his wife Camilla’s grit and steadiness that brings him back to his sense and to the band. As they start getting famous, they reluctantly invite Daisy to join their band.
What follows is the electric chemistry between pill riddled Daisy and currently sober Billy and how the band ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ breaks apart.
My initial thoughts
Daisy Jones & The Six would mark my first tryst with Taylor Jenkins Reid and I can say she has left a positive impact and I would definitely be reading more from her.
I really liked the premise and Reid’s writing made sure to make me feel like I watched a movie about these rockstars and their pill addiction, boozy parties and shows. The interview format of narrative was a clever idea too.
Again, my issue was just the same thing. I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all, because they felt like stars being interviewed. This is totally a “it is me, not you” thing, with the interview format narration. We don’t get to see what these characters are apart from the roles they play in a band, which is a sore disappointment.
I loved Camilla and Karen, strong ladies who seemed badasses on their own merit. While I wish I had such an emotional connect with Daisy too, all I could think was ‘omg she is a dumpster fire’.
I have been hearing that the audiobook does a better job than the physical copy, so if you are into audiobooks, you should try that.
What worked for me
- I loved the plot and couldn’t stop imagining Cooper and Lady Gaga for obvious reasons.
- Daisy Jones & The Six took me to the 70s setup of rock n roll, sex crazed and pill popping era and Reid’s writing shines through. Billy and Daisy were the epitome of all the glitter and issues of the era.
- I loved the strong, female characters like Camilla, Daisy, Karen and Simone. It is obvious that a woman wrote these characters.
What may have been better
- While I love the narrative format for its cleverness, I think it didn’t work for me personally.
- The placement of the songs from the band could have been better, I almost skipped those pages.
Bottom line
Daisy Jones & The Six is a popular historical fiction, and for the right reasons. If you want to be transported to the world of rock n roll and understand what happens after the show ends and behind the screen Daisy Jones & The Six is a great pick.
While the interview format didn’t work for me, I enjoyed Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing style. I will be seeing more of her.
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![Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A book review]()
review, Romance |
You know I loved The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang last year and I knew I was gonna love The bride test too, given the raving reviews it has been getting from all around. Can we get on with the review?
About the book
Book Name: The bride test (The Kiss Quotient #2)
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Khai Diep, Quan and their mother, Esme Tran, Michael
Setting: San Francisco, The USA
The plot
Esme Tran is a self made woman, a single mother from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, who has been recruited by a rich lady to meet her son and win his heart, in a year. And in return, she gets a chance to the USA to look for her American father and help her family financially, if things go well.
Khai Diep leads a perfectly efficient life and he is not big on emotions. He usually ignores his mother’s nagging to get married as harmless, but when she brings in a woman to stay with him at his house, he is completely taken aback.
Did his mother’s plan work? Can Esme win Khai’s heart and more importantly, understand why he is not like everyone else? Is he really not like everyone else? Read The bride test by Helen Hoang to find out more.
My initial thoughts
I LOVED The bride test and I am going ahead to say I am gonna pick any book by Helen Hoang in the near future. She knows how to write characters that are fully developed and complex. Here is Khai who has made his mind up that he is above emotions and Esme can marry him only if he feels what she feels for him.
And both the families are rooting for them. His brother Quan goes a step ahead and even tries to speed things between them in his own way. I don’t remember the last time I laughed out loud reading a book.
I loved Quan and I can’t wait to read a book about his story. Interesting fact: If you have read The Kiss Quotient, you might remember Quan, the protagonist Michael’s cousin, who recognizes that Stella is autistic, because he had an autistic brother. That brother is our protagonist, Khai Diep. And Michael plays a cameo too.
The only problem I had was with dishonesty and omission.
Esme and Khai’s mother explicitly hide the fact that she was doing the whole arranged marriage for her own gains and the fact that she has a child back home in Vietnam. In fact, they agree to wait for him to fall for her, before telling him the truth.
And again, his mother omits telling her that Khai is autistic. I understand Esme turned out to be a great support to him and all. To be fair, doesn’t she have the right to know before agreeing to the deal? Go figure.
What worked for me
- I loved the OWN VOICE representations, as the author being autistic and a Vietnamese herself
- Oh the romance and chemistry! And it has been a while since I felt this invested in any fictional romance. Again, great writing.
- The humorous and witty dialogues help the the Bride Test from being a steamy or sappy romance. Stellar combo!
- I loved that all the characters, not just the protagonists, are full developed, with emotional depth.
What may have been better
- Some people may find all the deception and disregard to Khai’s feelings off putting.
Bottom line
If you are looking for a steamy, happily-ever-after with great Own voice representations, The bride test by Helen Hoang is your go to choice. You will not regret it. It comes close to being The Kiss Quotient !
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