Of Poseidon by Anna Banks || BOOK REVIEW

Book: Of Poseidon

Author: Anna Banks

Series: The Syrena Legacy #1

Release Date: 05/22/12 

Published: MacMillan

Genres: Mythology, YA

Format: Audiobook

Narrator: Rebecca Gibel

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins 

Pages: 324 (according to Goodreads)

Goodreads Descripton

Book Overview:

Of Poseidon follows two main characters, Emma and Galen, and their interactions with one another. Galen is a Syrena (or mermaid, but that term is very offensive to the Syrena). Emma is believed to be human, but is she? 

The book opens with Emma and her best friend on vacation in Florida when Emma runs into Galen on the beach. This is their first meeting of what will become a budding romance. When trouble hits Emma and her friend while in the ocean, Galen rushes to try and save them when he witnesses Emma using powers she shouldn't posses. These powers prove to Galen that she could be the key to saving his kingdom. 

Told from first point of view (POV) of Emma and third POV of Galen we get to see how a Syrena learns and acts out of water with humans and also how a once thought to be human react to the knowledge she might be a Syrena of Poseidon. 

Overall Thoughts:

So I'm adding in this section because I have a LOT to say about this book and I don't know how much of it I can separate out into each section. I'm going to do my best to avoid spoilers, if I need to go into spoilery details I will post those in my goodreads review and hide them. 

Let me start off by saying this book had potential. I was very excited about a decent mermaid book going into this but I was so wrong! I've heard a lot of wonderful things about this series and it's story that I was very surprised at what I was reading. There was so much going on I had a hard time keeping track of various characters and plot points. I was so baffled by some of the things happening that I ended up giving a play by play to my coworkers, which helped keep things straight in my mind. 

While I really disliked the majority of this book, I couldn't stop listening to it! I was intrigued with the story and where it was heading even though it was making me angry and I found more humor in it than fantastic love story. 

The descriptions the author uses are cringe worthy and often hilarious. Here are some examples that I made sure to jot down:

Sculpted bulk of granite

Tingles (used so often)

Goosebumps farm 

Blob of water 

Goosebumps to my baby toes

Finding an island

Sweet white haired angelfish

These are just the ones I wrote out/remember off the top of my head. If I were to read it again I would keep track of how many times the words 'tingles' and 'blob' were used. The angelfish nickname would be cute if I didn't despise of Galen so much. The term 'Schizo' was also used and I didn't appreciate the way of which it was used, it wasn't needed. 

All of the relationships in this book are very toxic. The Syrena have their own ways of doing things, but they're portrayed so poorly that it makes it even more infuriating the things they say/do. Not only are the male Syrena toxic with their creepy, stalker, controlling aesthetic, but Emma's relationship with her mom is also toxic. The way her mom acts and treats all the situations is unparentlike and makes you question so much! Not to mention Galen is basically stalking Emma cross country and practically kidnapping her on multiple occasions and doesn't anything wrong in his actions. 

I know there is a culture difference between human and the Syrena but I wish it was even more exaggerated. Had Galen, and the other Syrena, been even more ignorant and had better character/culture development I think it could have been well done. 

There is also some definite insta love in this book! As well as, very early on, the dreaded he released a breath he didn't know he was holding. These two tropes were so obvious that it made me frustrated from very early on. 

I also had an issue with continuity throughout the entire book! There were many instances were one thing was said and within a chapter or two something completely different would be contradict the information.   

Now I'm dragging on this book quite a bit, but I do plan on reading the second and probably the third. As mentioned, I'm intrigued by what is going to happen, I'm just not a fan of the writing style. I also feel like there was very poor world and character building. There is so much potential with mermaid stories that I was expecting much more than I was giving. 

(Woo! No spoilers!)

Characters:

The characters are on a whole other spectrum. I can honestly say that I wasn't attached to any of these characters too much. Toraf redeemed himself slightly towards the end of the book but he's still creepy and stalkerish. Granted that is how the Syrena are, so it's clearly cultural but there are so many issues with thinking some of his actions are okay. 

The only character I rooted for was the human, Mark, who we only see a very little bit of throughout the entire book. 

The Syrena culture is one where the men obviously rule and the women just go along with whatever they have to say, at least that's how Galen acts. I really disliked Galen as a person. He's controlling, misogynistic, creepy, rude, stalkerish, and not a good person. Yes he seems to try a slight little bit, but his trying is really just controlling. His relationship with Emma is very toxic and what kills me is that she SEES that it is wrong but still "loves" him.....can we not? I want to give him the benefit of the doubt since it is his culture and he is royal, but the world and character development was so poorly done that his misogynistic ways make absolutely no sense. 

I guess I liked Rachel enough. Didn't really have much of a problem with her, in fact I want to know more about her. But the fact that she helps him essentially kidnap Emma on multiple occasions also makes her toxic. 

The other characters don't really stand out, other than most of them have names I can't remember and don't even want to begin trying to spell them. Galen's sister grew on me a little more as we got further into the book but other than that I didn't care too terribly much for any of the other Syrena. 

What I liked:

I really like the overall idea of this story. I want to know what happens next, even if the characters and writing drive me nuts. 

What I disliked:

I really disliked the world building and character development, it felt like everything was flat and very convenient. The other thing that really irked me was the descriptors and the way this book looks down on women. As I've mentioned there are some very strong sexist themes and very misogynistic attitudes.   

Conclusion:

In conclusion I didn't fully hate this book but I will never read it again. I do want to continue the series, and have already downloaded the last two books. Not sure if I will read the short stories that go along with it or not, but I am excited to see what happens to our cast of characters. I'm also hoping the writing and world building get stronger in the last two books. I was initially going to give this either a 1 or 1.5 star rating but there was just enough mystery and interest that I'm comfortable giving it a 2. 

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison || BOOK REVIEW

Book: The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

Author: Jonathan Evison

Format: Audio Book

Goodreads Description

Overview

This book follows Benjamin Benjamin, a moddle aged man who ends up becoming the caregiver of Trevor, a 19 year old boy with MD.

The first half of this book shows the relationship that grows between Ben and Trev, the second half is a road trip that they go on.

Characters

The characters are very well done and have a great dynamic.

First we have Benjamin Benjamin, our leading man. Ben is a middle aged man going through a mid life crisis of sorts, albeit for good reason, who finds a job he ends up enjoying.

Then we have our other main character  Trevor. Trev is disabled but has a great personality. 

Peraonally, I don't have a great background knowledge of md but I felt like the character was written well.

The rest of the characters are primarily filler but they all have their own quirks and provides more depth to the story.

We meet some interesting characters throughout the road trip, but I'm not going to go into them to avoid spoilers. Overall these road trip characters make the second half of the book more interesting.

Things I liked

I really enjoyed the relationship of Ben and Trevor, it was more of a friend relationship than pure caregiver/client relationship. I enjoyed their banter and all of their daily tasks as well. 

Another aspect I enjoyed was the road trip itself. It was a fun ride and it made the book that much better. I'm not sure I would have loved the book as much if it didn't have this aspect. 

Things I disliked

I didn't like the way the flashbacks were handled. It was confusing each time we were back into the past since most of the time it was still in present day POV. I feel like that aspect may have been different and easier to pick up if I were physically reading it instead of listening to it. 

Conclusion

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I don't know if I would read it again but it was a fun and slightly emotional read. I watched the Netflix movie adaptation right after finishing the book and while it was enjoyable as well, I feel like you definitely get more out of it if you read the book first. 

  

Diversity Awareness Tag & #DiverseAThon TBR

**Each person listed is linked to either their tag video or their announcement video for the #DiverseAThon. Each book or author is linked to its goodreads page**

I was tagged by Alyssa over at Pucks and Paperbacks. Decided to do this tag on my blog since I've been sick the past week and a half I haven't been up for filming.

Original Tag by Green Eggs and Sam

1) Why does diversity matter to you?

Diversity matters because we are not all the same person. Everyone is different and diverse in some form or another. Diversity doesn't just have to be about race and religion but about disabilities, mental health, sexuality, and so much more. Diversity is what makes us all individuals with unique tastes and personalities. We need diversity in books because without it, we'd be stuck reading the same book over and over. 

2) Find a diverse author.

Sherman Alexie

I have not yet read anything by Alexie but I have two of his books and I've met him. He is an amazingly sweet person and I want to read his books! He primarily writes things that are taken from his own experiences as a Native American.

3) Find a diverse lead character (preferably not from above author).

Eilis Lacey from Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. Eilis is an Irish woman who makes the journey to America to start her life post WWII. I love this book and the movie adaptation! Eilis is such a wonderful character and getting to see how she adapts to life in America was very eye opening and wonderfully done. 

4) Find a book with a cast full of diverse characters.

Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. This book is filled with diverse characters! As is the podcast! It's cooky and weird and diversity is what they build on. 

5) Find a book where a diverse character is not a stereotype.

For this one I'm using the same book Alyssa used, I've started this book but haven't finished it. The Haters by Jesse Andrews. The main set of characters in this book are at Band Camp but they aren't your stereotypical band geeks (trust me, I know).  

6) Find a character with whom you can identify.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I definitely identify with Cath because she is an introverted book lover. Her anxiety with school was very relatable and she's a book lover, I connected with her from the very beginning.   

7) Find a relationship with different diversities.

Eleanor and Park  also by Rainbow Rowell. I love this book for many reasons! The biggest is that it is not just a love story, it also deals with some pretty intense issues. But for this question the two are of different diversities, Eleanor is an overweight Caucasian girl from a broken and abusive home and Park is an Asian boy who is short, skinny and quiet.  

8) Find a book with a disabled (mental or physical) character.

Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. This book is filled with characters all of which are at different points in their lives with a good handful of them having various degrees of mental health disorders. 

9) Find a book with an LGBTQiA+ character (bonus if the character gets into a relationship).

I have to go with Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I just recently read this and loved every moment of it! Our main character Simon is not openly gay but is falling for his pen pall when he gets blackmailed by his classmate who saw his emails. 

10) Reflection. How hard was it to find books?

Most of these were easy and I could think of them on the spot, the only one I had trouble with was the stereotype question. Mostly because I don't tend to think about stereotypes while I'm reading. 

That is all for the tag portion of this post! I'm not tagging anyone specific but I want to tag anyone and everyone reading this!! It's a great tag that gets you thinking about different characters and books and also gives an opportunity to get different book recommendations.  

Info and TBR for the DiverseAThon

The Diverseathon is a readathon from Monday September 12 through Monday September 19th. It is being hosted by Whitney, Monica, Christina Marie, and Joce. There is a group book and that book is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. 

I'd love to read the group book but there are people ahead of me on Overdrive, so hopefully I'll be able to read it at some point in the future. 

The book I plan on reading is The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison. In this book the main character becomes the caregiver of a young man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I saw this on the recommended reads on Overdrive and thought it sounded really good and different, so I downloaded it. I'm reading this for the readathon because I haven't read many books dealing with physical disabilities so I'm looking forward to this one.

I'm not sure if I'll get to anything else specifically for the readathon, but there are other diverse reads I plan on reading before the year is out. For example, the two books by Sherman Alexie that I own as well as rereading One Night at the Call Center. I'm also going to be buddy reading More Happy than Not in November.

I know the book I chose may not be the most diverse but it's what I have available to me during a super busy week where I already had books planned out. Chances are I'll find something else to listen to towards the end of the week but I'm not sure what that will be just yet. When I figure it out I'll be sharing it on Twitter. 

Thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next post!

Gina 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple || BOOK REVIEW

Book: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Author: Maria Semple

Format: Audio book

Narrator: Kathleen Wilhoite

Goodreads Description

Overview:

Where'd You Go, Bernadette tells the intriguing story of Bernadette Fox. The book is told mostly through a letter format using emails, messages, and hand written notes. When there isn't a letter to go through we get information through Bernadette's daughter, Bee. The book is told through her perspective as if she is the author of the book using the information and documentation she has to piece together the events of the book. 

This book takes place over a few months but gives us detailed information about the past to build up the story. Bernadette and her husband move to Seattle after he gets a job with Microsoft, leaving behind the architect scene of LA that Bernadette was deeply involved with. She gives up being an architect to be a stay home mom to Bee. Bee is an 8th grader getting ready to graduate and wants to go on a trip to Antarctica as her prize for getting great grades all throughout middle school. 

The only problem with a family trip to Antarctica is that Bernadette seems to have something holding her back mentally from fully committing to the idea. She secretly hires an online assistant from India to do all her shopping and make appointments for less than a dollar an hour. While her husband works and gets close to his admin, who happens to be a mom from Bee's school that Bernadette does not like, Bernadette makes plans and sets things in motion for the family trip. 

Characters:

The characterization in this book is phenomenal! We see multiple people through emails, newsletters, and hand written notes so it's a decent cast of characters with varying points of view. There are characters you fall in love with and then there are characters you hate. 

I love Bernadette and her cooky way of thinking and solving problems. There were multiple times I laughed out loud at something she did or said and I definitely felt all the feels as you get more details about Bernadette. 

I had a little bit of a problem with Bee. I kept forgetting she was supposed to be 14 going on 15 and not 10, however, this may have something to do with how she was voiced in the audio book. Other than that I enjoyed her character. She is a strong young woman who loves her mom and would do anything to stand by her side. 

The rest of the characters were true to themselves and all had unique characteristics that made them each come alive. While some of them, like the moms from Bee's school, are annoying and miserable people, they are well written. 

Plot:

The main plot point of this book is that Bernadette goes missing and her daughter and husband set out to discover what happened. I love the title and story line that she's gone missing because it really seems to have more than one meaning. 

She does eventually go physically missing but she also seems to be mentally missing as well. We see into her past, into the Bernadette she use to be and I feel like the question "Where'd you go, Bernadette?" is even more present about who she use to be compared to who she throughout this story. 

What I liked:

I really enjoyed the writing of this book. The letter format worked well and really gave this story the depth that it needed. I also loved the fact that we did get a little bit of psychology in it. While Bernadette never gets diagnosed we still see her have anxiety and find out why she has that anxiety. 

As I mentioned above I loved the characterization, even with the miserable characters. 

I really liked the visualization that this book gives you. I'd love to see the 20 mile house!! It just sounds so amazing. Semple does a great job of describing the scenery and letting her readers picture exactly what it is she envisioned. 

What I disliked:

This book isn't perfect and there are flaws but most of what I disliked were certain miserable characters and choices Bernadette's husband makes. I also would have liked a little more clarity with the psychology and not just a brief mention of various disorders. Other than that I would have to nit pick thing I didn't like.

Conclusion:

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun, quick read but it's also different and keeps you guessing. Is this my favorite book? No. Will I reread it? Probably not. I have no intention of having this book in my collection but I'm very glad that I read it and would recommend it! 

Fun Tidbits:

The narrator of this book, Kathleen Wilhoite, plays Luke's sister, Liz Danes on Gilmore Girls! Her voice is very noticeable and she did an amazing job with all the various characters! There is also a point where she sings O Holy Night and it is beautiful! I would buy a Christmas album if she had one!! 

Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet || BOOK REVIEW

Book: Mermaids in Paradise

Author: Lydia Millet

Format: Audio book via Overdrive app 

Goodreads Description

This book. This book was something alright. 

Just by looking at the title, cover, and description of this book you would think it was a fun summer contemporary about mermaids. That is not entirely the case. As my coworker, who recommended this to me, and I discussed this book is part romance part mermaids and part murder mystery. 

Part one of the book is all about our main character, Deb, and the moments leading up to her wedding day. This part is mermaid free and could have been shorter. Our narrator goes on random tangents that I could have done without, but she is consistent and goes on tangents throughout the story. Part two is the Honeymoon. In this part we see our newlyweds on their honeymoon adventure where they end up going diving with their island friends and come across some mermaids. This is where the book starts getting a little weird, but still enjoyable. As I mentioned part of this story is murder mystery and mystery it is. This aspect of the book was well done and had me intrigued but I feel it could have been executed better. 

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't amazing. It was a fun read and I was definitely interested in finding out what was going to happen next but there were some flaws. The biggest flaw I had was the ending of the book. I'm not going to spoil anything but basically the ending had me open mouthed staring at my phone in disbelief. I wish we could have seen more of the story arc that the ending mentions but sadly we only get the last few paragraphs. I think this book could have been fantastic had some certain plot points been explored more and maybe had the book gone in a different direction from the very beginning. 

That being said I did enjoy this. It was quick, light, funny, and interesting. I probably will never reread it but I would recommend it to someone looking for something a bit different. 

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch || BOOK REVIEW

Goodreads Description  

I've been wanting to read this book since I saw it at Book Con back in May. I ended up listening to it on audio book and loved every moment! The audio book was narrated by Jon Lindstrom who did a great job of capturing the creepy feel of this book. 

I started this book pretty much blind since I had forgotten the description I read back in May and this is one I'm not sure I would recommend going in blind with. I dd end up reading the description after about half an hour of listening to the book. 

I love that Crouch dives right into the action! There isn't a whole lot of background information in the beginning of the book and that lets the reader get hooked fairly quickly. I loved that we were seeing everything as our main character, Jason, was seeing it. Crouch does such a good job of giving just enough details to make you think you know what is going to happen but then throws in a curve ball to make you question everything. 

There were multiple occasions where I was left staring at my phone in disbelief of what was happening in the story. Sometimes I couldn't believe I missed something that seemed obvious others I was shocked that the story went in a completely different direction. 

The character development was amazing! Every character was well thought even the side characters were memorable and unique to who they are. Even the relationships between Jason and all the side characters were well done and made you feel for these characters. 

Dark Matter is more than a Science Fiction Thriller; it has heart, mystery, science elements, creepy elements, and so much more. It is easily one of my favorites of the year so far!!