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Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

I read Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo as one of my buddy reads for this month. I enjoy Bardugo’s writing; I’ve only read the Grishaverse trilogy so far, but I loved it. When I heard she had an adult book coming out, I had to read it. Then the content warnings and trigger warnings came out (list is courtesy of Roe from Goodreads) and it was all over Twitter. And I became wary…but also a little intrigued. Because as I mentioned in my Banned Books post, when people talk about a book, I need to read it. So, I read it.

Ninth House: Thoughts

Honestly, I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. It was predictable, so for that I didn’t find enjoyment. I also found things too convenient at times. The book was written in multiple aspects, implementing flashbacks as a way to get to know the different characters. I didn’t mind this style and actually at different parts of the story I found myself wishing to read more from different characters point of view because that character’s story was intriguing.

I didn’t really care for Alex, which is a shame since she was the main character. Strong female protagonists are favorites of mine to read about, but I could not get behind her. She was just bland. It may be a bit of an unpopular opinion but I wanted to know more about Darlington, or even Dawes. They seemed interesting. I also wanted some clarity surrounding the societies. They seemed to jumble together for me. Perhaps that’s just for me personally, but I didn’t get a clear sense of them and their differences. They just felt too similar.

Bottomline

Overall, I am not sure Ninth House really was as great as I thought it would be. Will I pick up book two? Yes. After that ending, I have to know what happens. And again, I do love Bardugo’s work. The potentially triggering content that everyone mentioned is there. It’s a lot of gore and sexual violence, and it is throughout the entire book, so you can’t really just skip a certain chapter. Just stay true to yourself and your own limits.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

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I read The Kite Runner as one of my selections for Banned Books Week. I’ve always heard such good things about it. Alas, like many of my other books, it’s just been sitting on my shelf, eyeing me sadly while I read all the fancy new releases. I finally picked it up and wow did it pack a punch. First, let’s get into what it’s about.

In this story, we’re following Amir, an Afghani man who recounts his life from childhood to adulthood. We learn about his life growing up in Afghanistan, his escape from a war-wracked Kabul, his journey to America, and his journey back to Afghanistan. We witness his relationship with his father, and with his playmate, Hassan, and a myriad of other important characters. In this story, we are privy to Amir’s failures, his regrets, his redemption, his fears, his love, and everything in between, as well as what it means to forgive. It’s an emotional story that will put you on a roller coaster and have you wondering if you can take it anymore.

My Reading Experience of The Kite Runner

I wasn’t sure if I could handle reading it. After 7 chapters in, I had to stop. I didn’t pick the book up for 3 days. As I was reading chapter 7, I was bawling. I couldn’t stop, so I put the book down before I could finish the chapter. I consulted one of my reading groups about the rest. Does this get better? Will I stop crying? I had to know. I wasn’t sure I could continue reading an almost 400-page book with this much turmoil and emotion. “You probably will keep crying, but it’s worth it.” That was the resounding response from the group. So, after a 3-day hiatus, I forged on.

I don’t regret reading it. Yes, it was absolutely emotional. The whole book ripped at my emotions and my heart and I did cry through the rest of it. I’m actually a little upset with Hosseini about some of this book. But it’s a book that will stay with me, and that’s what makes a book great, so I guess that means he did his job.

While I definitely struggled with this one because of the sheer emotional impact it caused, I do recommend it. However, I will say that there are some triggers with this, and some content warnings. Please be advised that some of these triggers include depictions of rape, attempted suicide, bullying, murder, and war.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

In Wicked Fox, we follow Miyoung, a gumiho, or nine-tailed fox who uses the energy of men in order to survive. Miyoung encounters Jihoon, a human male, and instead of devouring him, she saves him. Thus, a dangerous friendship arises, which causes her to lose her gumiho soul. When faced with the choice to regain her gumiho immortality, Miyoung is forced to decide. Whose life is more important: hers, or Jihoon’s?

I read this as a buddy read. I was skeptical going in, as sometimes fantasy isn’t my thing, but overall I enjoyed it. This appeared on my August TBR but I finished this one in September. There were parts of the story that I really appreciated and other parts that I thought could have been better, as with most books.

What Worked in Wicked Fox

I liked the strong side cast that Kat Cho created. I liked that Jihoon’s Halmeoni was a strong female character and she was a significant part of the story. While the main characters felt irritating, especially when they kept doing things when you’re reading and going “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!,” I have to say, at least Kat Cho created some realistic characters. The lack of communication, the back-and-forth indecisiveness, the roller-coaster of emotions; although it made for a frustrating read, it made for realistic and relatable characters.

I also enjoyed the relationships we see between Miyoung and her mother, and Jihoon and his mother. They’re both complex but in different ways, and they have an arc during the story. I thought this was a nice inclusion in the story.

What Could Have Been Better

The pacing in the book felt off. The length of the book felt too long for the way that the story was written, so either the pacing should have been adjusted, or it should have been shortened. Another thing that could have been better was an explanation for the circumstances around Nara.

This book didn’t end up being a favorite, but it wasn’t one that I hated either. After that ending, I will of course read the sequel, because I have to know what happens!

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

I won a free ARC of this book during SDCC online thanks to Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Legendborn is about a girl, Bree, who attends UNC Chapel Hill in a program for high schoolers. Upon arrival, she notices things aren’t as they seem. It appears there is some type of magic afoot. The more she learns about this magical society, the more she realizes her mother’s death isn’t as black and white as she was led to believe. We follow her as she joins The Order and the Legendborn and tries to uncover the truth of what really happened to her mom. But the more Bree finds out about her mom, the more she discovers about her past and truths about herself. What will Bree do with all of the knowledge and thus the power she is searching for?

Let me start off by saying, for some reason I hadn’t really heard much about this book. I saw it during SDCC and I was intrigued, but again, I hadn’t heard much hype. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with that. So, after I was lucky enough to win an ARC of it, I dove right in. That was the best thing I could have ever done for myself.

Y’ALL. I absolutely LOVED this book. It isn’t even on the SHELVES YET and I need to read book two! I can’t rave enough about how good this book is. It’s probably my favorite so far this year. I gave it a 5/5–my first of the year! It will be in stores tomorrow–September 15th. Let me get into why I love it and why you need to go get yourself a copy and read it ASAP!

Why I Loved Legendborn

Tracy Deonn has a gift. Her writing is amazing. It was lyrical and powerful. I felt connected to the characters and each character left me feeling different emotions. I was hooked from the beginning and didn’t want to put it down. The magic system was so interesting, too. I don’t want to go into great detail, because spoilers. But there were two main categories, really, and they were both developed pretty well.

Bree was such an amazing main character. I loved that she was such a strong female character who did what she needed to do despite what others wanted. Her “take no shit” attitude was one of my favorite qualities about her. Another favorite quality she possessed was her determination. Not only did she never give up trying to infiltrate The Order, but she never gave up trying to find out the truth about her mom. Her compassion was also an admirable quality. Even though she was there essentially for revenge, she still cared about the members of The Order and tried not to hurt them. I liked that Deonn included connections between Bree and a few characters (no spoilers!) and I’m so anxious to see where that goes in book two!

I liked the diversity that Deonn incorporated. It didn’t feel like any of it was included just to mark off on a checklist, and it felt more organic. There were a few same-sex relationships and non-binary representation as well. The discussion of racial disparity was a great inclusion in the book. Not only is it poignant as the story takes place in the south with mainly white characters, but it is important that we don’t forget the injustices and discriminations that still are prevalent in our world today.

August Wrap-Up

Well, y’all, I didn’t get to all the books I had wanted to. I had tried to read 8 books during August and I was only able to fully complete 5 of them. I’m in the middle of 2 others and one I wasn’t able to get to. Let’s dig in, shall we?

So what did I read this month? To recap, there was White Fox by Sara Faring, How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi, The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe, Eleanor, Alice, & The Roosevelt Ghosts by Dianne K. Salerni, and Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney C. Stevens.

I didn’t find any new favorite books this month, but there were two that I did enjoy more than the others. Those books were White Fox by Sara Faring, and Eleanor, Alice, & The Roosevelt Ghosts by Dianne K. Salerni. I hadn’t read from either of these authors before but I found myself enjoying both books and I will look for more books from them in the future. Faring did a great job with the atmosphere in White Fox and I found that a particularly strong element in that story. Salerni really brought the characters to life in Eleanor, Alice, & The Roosevelt Ghosts and made me want to continue down the history tunnel. I gave each book a 4/5.

The books that were misses for me were a tie between Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney C. Stevens and The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe. Both had interesting premises but seemed to fall flat in their execution. I struggled to get through both and can’t say I’d recommend either one. Both received 2/5.

So there you have it, folks. What books did you read last month? Were you able to find some awesome new books? Any that you’d recommend?