JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

When Ollie meets Will over the summer break, he thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After. But once summer’s ended, Will stops texting him back, and Ollie finds himself short of his fairy-tale ending.

A family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country – Will’s school – and Ollie finds that the sweet, affectionate and comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, a basketball jock and, well, a bit of a jerk.

The last time Ollie gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would be a fool to trust him with it again. Right?

Heartfelt and uplifting, Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales has been a surprise favourite for me these Christmas holidays. While I catch up on all the 2020 releases I’ve been meaning to read, I stumbled upon this YA romance novel and completely fell in love with it. Absorbed in the characters and the setting, I read this entire story in one day.

Ollie meets the gorgeous Will over summer break and the two fall in love. But then the holiday ends and Will won’t respond to Ollie’s texts. When Ollie’s family moves across the country to North Carolina and suddenly, the two boys are attending high school together, their secret summer fling is the least of their concerns. A modern day retelling of Grease, and just as charming.

“A familiar voice to my right made me start. Will. Of course it was. I couldn’t have five minutes’ reprieve from this absolute bad joke of a day, huh? He must be near the front door, from the sound of his voice. I couldn’t let him see me here alone. No way.”

A coming-of-age gay romance for the masses, strengths include the dialogue — snappy, witty and really quite hilarious. This is a novel that will attract and hold all audiences, not just teen readers. The characters are diverse and inclusive, and will appeal to LGBTQI+ audiences. Whilst set in the United States, all readers will recognise the high school environment and the complications that arise when love is involved.

The supporting cast of characters are just as rich and three-dimensional as Will and Ollie. The three girls that Ollie befriends, in particular, are a welcome addition to the story and are incredibly relatable. Ollie’s unwell Aunt also adds layers to the story — her place in Ollie’s life makes for an emotional read.

Heartfelt scenes between Will and Ollie will force readers to empathise with their plight. Ollie has already come out to family and friends, whereas Will has not. The novel is as much about their own journeys as gay men, as it is about their future as a couple.

“The conversation went on around me. I didn’t join in. It wasn’t super unusual for me to be quiet at lunch, and there was no way I felt comfortable enough to speak up with this audience. The weird thing was that Will didn’t speak, either.”

Only Mostly Devastated shows us what it’s like to live unapologetically, to follow your heart and chase what makes you happy. But the novel also illustrates the importance of only accepting what you deserve — Will struggles to come out about his sexuality, and his anxiety and inner torment means he doesn’t always treat Ollie respectfully, and it’s refreshing to see Ollie’s reaction to that. I’m sure many readers will find comfort in how their relationship changes and develops over the course of the novel.

“If it had come from someone else I might’ve been offended by that, but this girl had a way of half-smiling that made me feel like I was in on a joke with her. I decided I liked her.”

Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Only Mostly Devastated
Sophie Gonzales
March 2020
Hachette Book Publishers

Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

Chronic overachiever Prudence Daniels is always quick to cast judgement on the residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her.

Pru giddily makes use of the power, flexing it on everyone from public vandals to karaoke hecklers. But there is one person on whom her powers consistently backfire: Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner and all-round mortal enemy.

Soon, Pru begins to uncover truths about Quint, her peers and even herself. She discovers how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed . . . love and hate.

Marissa Meyer’s Instant Karma is a rom-com YA novel about the perception of others, how quick we are to cast judgement, and the importance of understanding how multi-layered justice is.

An outing with her friends results in Prudence developing supernatural powers, allowing her to wreak karma on those she thinks deserves it. It feels like the perfect punishment for her lazy, sloppy lab partner, Quint Erickson. Until she starts volunteering at the local sea animal rehabilitation centre and learns there’s more to Quint than she thought.

Teenage readers will enjoy this novel — the setting, characters, and direction. Admittedly, this book doesn’t really feel like it’s about karma at all. It’s actually quite an insignificant part of the story, feels a little like the author jammed it in post-first-draft. There certainly doesn’t feel like there’s a resolution to it.

However, readers will appreciate the lessons that uptight, goody-two-shoes Prudence learns along her journey. In the beginning, she’s borderline insufferable. By the end, she’s quite an engaging protagonist.

“It’s not that deep, but when she lands on her backside with a splash, the water comes nearly to her neck. She scrambles to her feet and bolts from the water, her dress coated in sand and clinging to her thighs.”

Setting feels like its own character in this novel. The Southern California beach is the perfect backdrop to this setting — it offers a light, fun, carefree story. This is the perfect summer read, an ideal book to take to the beach or by the pool. A real resort read.

There are some important issues and themes to digest in the book — nurturing animals, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, littering, the environment — but Marissa presents them in a manner that doesn’t feel overbearing or preachy. Ideally, the reader must possess some kind of interest or affection for animals, or they might find themselves a little bored. The opening of the book is certainly a little slow to start, because it’s dominated by a biology project that is a little snoozy.

“I start to read the text, and…my opinions begin to plummet. Typos. Misspellings. Run-on sentences. Rambling, almost incoherent statements. Criminy. How did this guy pass ninth-grade English?”

I loved that Pru was confident, dominant, sure of herself, but I also really appreciated it when Quint put her in her place — when he pointed out when she was being unreasonable. When her perfectionist tendencies were putting unrealistic pressure on those around her, it was important for that to be checked.

Despite Quint feeling a bit one-dimensional and not overly layered, he was relatable in those moments, and it was important for Prudence to be put in her place so she could learn from her mistakes and grow as a character.

“How is it that I can have such high expectations, for myself and those around me, while Quint can be so…so Quint. I’ve even spent the last year lowering my expectations for him, bit by bit, and still he manages to disappoint. I’ve truly asked so little of him.”

A little predictable, but highly recommended for teenage readers, perhaps even 10+ depending on the individual.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Instant Karma
Marissa Meyer
November 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers Australia

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

It’s 1982, and the innovative FBI Behavioral Science section is breaking new ground. Emma Lewis and Travis Bell, two teenagers with valuable skills, are recruited to interview convicted juvenile killers for information on cold cases.

When they’re drawn into an active case targeting teenagers, everything starts to unravel. Over Travis’s objections, Emma becomes the conduit between the FBI and an incarcerated serial killer, nineteen-year-old Simon Gutmunsson, who is a super-intelligent sociopath. And although Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he’s also an expert manipulator playing a very long game …

Can Emma and Travis stop a serial killer on the loose – or will they fall victim themselves?

In Ellie Marney’s latest YA crime None Shall Sleep, two 18-year-olds in the US find themselves interviewing juvenile killers for the FBI — soon, they’re on the hunt for a vicious and fast-moving serial killer, who targets teenagers.

I’ve read a few of Ellie’s books and this is by far my favourite, and the strongest writing I’ve seen from Ellie. The prose is sharp and blunt; Ellie only uses words she needs to, propelling us through the story with efficiency.

The premise is a little absurd, sure, but it’s easy to put that aside and just let yourself fall into this thriller. I’m a sucker for a good crime story and Ellie kept me guessing with each chapter. All my predictions were wrong — all my guesses were misguided. Readers will find themselves engrossed in the story, desperate to turn each page.

“The inside of Behavioural Science is all low ceilings, crummy carpet, and cubicle hallways. Not as impressive as he imagined. Bell hears the sound of someone hanging up a phone farther ahead, then a muffled question, answered by an unfamiliar voice.”

Both Emma and Travis have troubled pasts that they avoid speaking about. Emma was kidnapped two and a half years earlier by a serial killer, but managed to escape. She still carries the scars — physically and mentally. Travis’ dad was murdered by a serial killer, and when that same serial killer crosses their path, Travis struggles to process the events.

Somehow, just somehow, I managed to read this entire book without realising it was set in 1982. I’d read the blurb multiple times and somehow missed it, and then I read the book and assumed it was set in the present. And to be honest? It works in the present. I mean, the premise is all a little ridiculous and unbelievable, which is probably why it’s not set in the present, but there didn’t really feel like any key descriptors or atmospheric indication that this was the 80s.

I think it’s both a good and bad thing. Good, because if it was too heavily embedded in 80s culture/landscape, teenagers today might not have enough of an interest in that to keep reading. And perhaps bad because…isn’t it a little weird you can read a whole book set in the 1980s and not realise? Ellie probably could’ve captured the setting a little stronger, without alienating her young readers.

“Kristin Gutmunsson’s resemblance to her twin is striking. She has the same gifts of good breeding, the poise and length of bone. She’s barefoot, in a simple cream linen shift that likely cost about as much as a small car. Her hair is ice-white and hands down in long tassels that remind Emma of Spanish moss — which makes her thinks of chiggers.”

It’s clear that a lot of research has gone into the writing of this book — the technicalities around the cognitive behavioural strategies, the descriptions of the killings and the crime scenes, the PTSD that Emma suffers from. Ellie has crafted a multi-layered story that sucks you deep into its clutches with each passing chapter.

Notorious serial killer Simon Gutmunsson plays a large role in this book, which I loved. He’s a fearsome character — he terrifies the reader with his quiet demeanour, his careful and considered actions. His characterisation is flawless, his dialogue chilling. He is both charming and intimidating, you can’t help but fall in love with him even though he’s a cold-blooded and remorseless killer. Readers will sympathise with his one weak spot — his love and devotion to his sister. It’s important to give antagonists something in their personality that makes them relatable, it allows the reader to understand them a bit better and perhaps like them. Simon’s connection with his twin sister Kristin makes him relatable, well-rounded, three-dimensional, and even that bit more human. It also allows for a few tender moments within the story.

“Cooper navigates the roads towards the Capitol Building, and Bell’s eyes move over the scrawl of Emma’s handwriting. She’s taken the entire interview down like dictation, and Bell finds the part he’s reading disturbing.”

As a long-time fan of Criminal Minds, I absolutely loved this book. I was genuinely shocked at how obsessed I became with this novel — how quickly I ditched plans just so I could finish this. The chapters snap at your heels, demanding you to keep reading, daring you to venture further.

Chilling and disturbing, but also really fucking entertaining. Recommended for readers of all ages.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

None Shall Sleep
Ellie Marney
September 2020
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume

The day I created a boy started out like any other.

Katie didn’t mean to create a boy. A boy like a long-lost Hemsworth brother: six-foot tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer’s day; whose lips taste like cookie dough and whose skin smells like springtime.

A boy who is completely devoted to Katie. He was meant to be perfect. But he was never meant to exist.

You Were Made for Me is Jenna Guillaume’s second YA novel, another heartfelt rom-com for a teenage audience. I loved her first book, What I Like About Me, and so I was excited to pick up this next read.

Teenager Katie swoons over romance and wants her first kiss to be perfect, but she’s having trouble getting any guy to notice her. When she sculpts the ‘perfect guy’ and then wakes up to find him naked in her bed, she suddenly finds herself with not just a boyfriend, but the perfect boyfriend. He’s sweet, affectionate and absolutely adores her. He’s everything that she ever wanted — but now that she has the perfect man, she starts to doubt whether he is actually what she needs. Over the course of the novel, Katie learns what it means to have a meaningful connection with someone.

“I felt around on my bedside table for my glasses and slipped them on. They were still wonky, but they did their job. The room came into focus, and I got a proper look at the naked guy for the first time. He was scratching his head, his face placid, like he didn’t have a care in the world.”

You Were Made For Me explores themes of love, relationship and friendship, but also family, body image, grief, self-confidence and following your heart no matter where it leads you.

Young readers may recognise themselves in Katie — anyone who feels alone, perhaps lonely. Anyone who isn’t popular in school. Anyone who is craving the experience of a first kiss and feels like the perfect guy will never exist.

Jenna is skilled at crafting a premise that teenagers can relate to, and older readers can recognise and sympathise with. We were all teenagers once! Admittedly, the characters did seem younger than 16 at times. Katie and Libby are optimistic and positive, but perhaps a little naive. Katie’s reliable and dependent neighbour Theo seemed the most consistent in terms of age vs. personality. He was also one of the most likeable characters in the book.

“I don’t know why I was so shocked to see him there. I mean, he lived down the road, in one of the big houses by the beach. I’d seen him skateboarding past, usually with a package from the fish and chip shop next door tucked under one arm. But he’d never come in before.”

The chapters are short and the layout really accessible to young eyes. And inside this gorgeous front-cover design, Jenna’s latest read features a diverse cast of characters — culturally, physically and sexually — so young readers will be able to see themselves reflected in the pages.

“We were at the park down the road from Libby’s place to do our official Guy handover. I had to go to work, which meant Libby was on Guy duty for the day. I felt weird about leaving him and had been tempted to call in sick…”

Stylistically and structurally, the narration bothered me. It’s hard to explain, but the book is written in first person POV, as if telling a story to the reader, but every so often Katie’s best friend chimes in and the two start having a conversation. It feels very stilted and unnatural — a little awkward? I would’ve preferred the narration to stick to first person POV without the back-and-forth with the best friend.

Additionally, the girl-gets-a-boy-and-ignores-the-best-friend is a stereotypical trope I was a little sad to see in this book. And the fact that Katie’s boyfriend suddenly appears out of thin air and she’s able to hide this grown teenager from her family and her parents is a little comical.

I do think Jenna’s first book is a stronger read — the characters are a little more likeable and the book has a more seamless style and format. But young teenage girls will enjoy this story, the quirks of the characters, the quick dialogue and the absurdity of the premise. It reminds me a little of the Life-size film with Tyra Banks, which is showing my age.

Readership skews female, 12+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

You Were Made For Me
Jenna Guillaume
August 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson

A girl wakes up on a self-driving bus. She has no memory of how she got there or who she is. Her nametag reads CECILY. The six other people on the bus are just like her: no memories, only nametags. There’s a screen on each seatback that gives them instructions.

A series of tests begin, with simulations projected onto the front window of the bus. The passengers must each choose an outcome; majority wins. But as the testing progresses, deadly secrets are revealed, and the stakes get higher and higher. Soon Cecily is no longer just fighting for her freedom – she’s fighting for her life.

Lili Wilkinson’s The Erasure Initiative is a YA psychological thriller that explores human behaviour, morality and ethical decision-making. The novel is also highly entertaining and set within a high-stakes, high-pressure environment. The Erasure Initiative ponders the possibility of using the trolley problem to re-align criminal behaviour.

Seven people wake on a driverless bus with no memory of who they are and how they got there. Our protagonist, Cecily, soon forms strong bonds with the handsome young Paxton and the brash but tech-savvy Nia. A series of hypothetical situations forces the group to come together in an unpredictable, and at times manipulative manner.

“The seatback displays don’t offer us any new information. We pace up and down the aisle. Check over everything a few more times. Hunger makes everyone jitter and snap at each other. Riley’s knee bounces up and down incessantly, and I want to yell at him, but I don’t, because I’m scared of his clumsy tattoos and scars.”

I’ve read quite a few of Lili’s books, including her other psychological thrillers After the Lights Go Out and The Boundless Sublime and I always find the twists and reveals to be incredibly clever. I genuinely don’t see them coming, so big ticks for that.

The trolley problem is only interesting and engaging the first few times you do it, so I was intrigued to find out how Lili was going to keep a reader engaged for at least 70,000 words. After the first couple of trolley problems I was bracing myself for repetition, but Lili manages to switch the rules and change the game with each chapter. I’m happy to admit my prediction was wrong.

“Inertia hurls me forward. I have just enough time to throw my hands up to protect my face as I collide with the windscreen, my body doing its damnedest to continue its forward trajectory through space. I close my eyes in involuntary defence as my face smashes into my hands, and my wrists and elbows and hips connect with the glass.”

I do think some characters were so engaging and dominant that a few characters on the bus got drowned out as a result. Riley is one of them — I kind of forgot about him until his character reached their pivotal moment. Catherine was also a bit of a sly fox, disappearing into the pages (although I’m certain that was intentional). And Edwin is a lot more interesting (and relevant) towards the end of the novel — he felt a little lost in the first half of the book.

The dynamic between Cecily and Nia is an interesting one, and something that develops really well over the course of the novel. I think Lili has done a great job of capturing the premise of missing memories very well. Being in Cecily’s head feels like climbing inside a toddler learning to walk. You can’t really look away.

“This time only Sandra chooses to save the person. I choose NO, because if Edwin’s right and the dickhead who’s behind this is trying to compare our answers, then I’m going to screw with him by always choosing NO.”

Admittedly, at times the dialogue felt a bit preach-y and like the author’s views on certain societal issues were poking through the novel. Additionally, with such a small cast of characters — there’s really only seven of them — Lili manages to tick a lot of diverse minority boxes and sometimes it felt a bit like it was approaching being tokenistic.

Compelling and enthralling right until the final page, The Erasure Initiative is recommended for fans of thriller and mystery. I don’t think this book is limited to YA readerships; adults and young readers alike with find themselves absorbed in this premise.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Erasure Initiative
Lili Wilkinson
August 2020
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers