Rachel Reads & Reviews

Sharing books for everyone

  • Hunger Games Review

    Now this is a long-time coming as I had enjoyed the movies in middle school but committed the carnal sin of never having read the books. Time to rectify that. Of course, since I saw the movies I have a basic idea of what happens but its been years so it will be sort of new-sort of familiar.

    Also, since it was a world-wide phenomena the reviews will be shorter, focusing more on my the reviewing and my thoughts rather than full on summaries and recaps of the events.

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  • Archie’s Valentine’s Spectacular Review

    Featuring a brand new story with a brand new character, everyone meet Cassie Cloud! Taller than most of the teens in Riverdale with brightly-hued hair, Cassie is someone who can see past appearances and reputations as in the case of Rotante’s More Than Meets the Eye: Rise of the Short Kings!

    It’s a cute story that manages to organically introduce this new character while bringing back some old ones like Simon (aka Reggie’s nightmare Prankenstein) and Toño. It’s been forveer since I’ve seen Toño! It also plays very straight to the title as the girls find out that even though Cassie is fun and cute and has the attention of all the guys, she prefers “the nerds” whose compact frames hide talents and skills all of their own. And make the girls appreciate them as well much to the Archie, Reggie and the other’s ire.

    Holly G. also returns as it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve seen her cool art on Archie pages. So overall, very satisfying debut just for Valentine’s Day.

    The other classic stories were well-chosen for the sweetheart’s day theme with a few I’ve never read before like Sweets to the Sweet which Jughead builds his own racket of chocolate gifts by reminding the girls of the fattening content and Out of Tune where Veronica’s romantic serenade turns out to be not so original after all.

    Happy Feburary and I can’t wait for more romantic hijinks to come from Riverdale’s lovestruck teens.

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  • January Books 2023

    TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo

    This debut novel tackles several issues that are rarely discussed in YA due to the stigma and shame surrounding it, and that’s why it is needed. TJ Powar is the school’s reigning debate champ alongside her cousin, Simran. She’s also considered one of the prettiest girls in school, scout-impressing soccer player and one half of the school’s power couple. So yeah, her life’s pretty great even though she’s starting to feel more of a pull to her debater side than her soccer dreams.
    But that’s not the inciting incident.

    That would be when after her big win, the school newspaper takes a pic of her and Simran side by side which then produces a cruel meme pointing out Simran’s body hair, calling her a male, a gorilla and worse. Though Simran tries to let it slide, TJ can’t. Suddenly, she cannot unsee the unfairness and cruelty that people think Simran is ugly just because of body hair. That even her boyfriend looks at her in disgust when she mentions that she hasn’t had a Brazilian yet.

    So inspired by her debating experience, she resolves not to shave because The House Believes Believes That TJ Powar can be her hairy self and still be beautiful.

    There starts an eye-opening experience from friends shunning her to her boyfriend dumping her as well as TJ’s own conflicting feelings regarding her beauty and her dedication to her belief.

    Deo doesn’t shy away from exploring the double standards regarding body hair. How it directly relates to views of gender- an shaved boy is considered more feminine and a hairy girl looks manly. That part of it is influenced by the corporate beauty industry where shaving products don’t even show the hairy skin because it’s just too ugly. That it’s considerd unhygenic and unprofessional among a whole host of reasons in order to perpetuate the myth. That POC are disproportionately affected with their body hair being more coarse, more visible etc.

    But don’t worry, it’s not advocating for everyone to go free with their armpit hair but highlights its all related to what feels good for a person themselves though we shouldn’t cruelly calling others gorillas in the meantime.

    Deo also takes full advantage of the debating extracurricular TJ is involved in, not only setting up a sweet romance but discussing the various types of debates and an impressive speech regarding how outer beauty/first impressions is more important to inner beauty (though it shouldn’t be) and the corrolating effects on the industry and self esteem of the population as a result.

    Deo does a good job in creating a believable character arc for TJ, one involving her own selfishness and world revolving around her mindset, as well as her competitive nature that nearly torpedos her relationships. She opens her mind which is something I can always get behind in a protagonist. However, the focus is mainly on her friends and romance. There is an intriguing familial subplot involving her mother’s estrangement with her aunt that is minorly resolved (and reflects the topic of the book) but I wanted a bit more to be done there.

    Another minor nitpick is that the book is mainly in third person. Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading so many first person or third person omiscent book but just the third person narrative felt simplistic. Although I was able to ignore that as the plot sucked me in.

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  • Archie vs the World

    It’s the 400th post already! I know I’m surprised too, and it’s not even this blog’s anniversary. Anyway, I thought I’d do another Archie post for the occasion and what better choice than the latest, epic one-shot Archie vs the World!

    Since the editors so enjoyed the team of Aubrey Sitterson’s writing and Jed Dougherty’s beefy art, the duo return with this Mad Max/North of the First Star-inspired tale of a flaming Archie, and grizzled Jughead venturing the desert wasteland to rescue Veronica after the apocolypse.

    But that’s not all, they contact the mystical sorceress Sabrina for advice on what Archie’s path shall be after being bestowed with powerful and destructive gifts, whether he shall always be alone and he fights against his rival Reggie whose egomaniac yet suicidal tendencies make for some knock-out brawls that splatter the pages with blood. Seriously, the art just jumps out at you.

    There’s plenty of fun cameos from the rest of the Riverdale gang in Mad Max-esque style like a destroyed Weatherbee, dueling Cabot twins, hulking Moose, Jughead vs Toni and so on.

    And then there are Archie’s girls who come together at the end of the battle with three choices for Archie. Much like Paris choosing which goddess to give the golden apple, Cheryl offers power, Veronica says she’ll give him wealth and Betty has neither but happiness. Power, Wealth, Happiness. . . Which one will Archie choose, Jughead intones. And in this barbaric world, the stakes are higher than ever as this choice more than any death match will decide Archie’s destiny.

    Well I’ll leave readers to find out the final decision for themselves but they’ll surely enjoy the wild ride as they do so.

    But just like I have said in my other reviews of Archie one-shots, I just wish they were longer. I know it goes against the whole one-shot thing but I feel like it could get more in-depth and more exciting if they explored the lore of this post-apolocyptic world instead of montages giving just enough hint and new character designs for readers to want more.

    The editor’s note had mentioned they originally planned it to be a new universe before cutting it to a one-shot so maybe mass fan-feedback could bring it back or at least give more character designs. Write down your thoughts on social media under the #Archievstheworld to let the company know!

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  • Nancy Drew ReRead Part 1

    Ah Nancy Drew. The girl detective who basically set the mold for girl detective. I’ve always wanted to finish this series but never got around to it because I wanted too read it in order and th elibrary always had the next one checked out or something. That’s still the case but I’m going to take what I can. This part one focuses on the Nancy Drew books I was able to find in the university library so it skips around in the series which is no problem since they are pretty stand-alone.

    Here I was able to read the first six books-The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, The Bungalow Mystery, The Mystery at Lilac Inn, The Secret of Shadow Ranch, and The Secret of Red Gate Farm.
    Followed by several that hop around in the order of the series like The Haunted Bridge, The Clue of Tapping Heels and The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk. Next came some in the 20s, 40s and 50s like The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, The Secret of the Wooden Lady, The Mystery of the 99 Steps, The Invisible Intruder, The Crooked Banister, Mystery of the Glowing Eye, The Secret of the Forgotten City and The Sky Phantom.

    Since each story is pretty formulaic and stand-alone I’m just going to detail general thoughts I had as I read.

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  • When Dimple Met Rishi Review

    This was a sweet romance coming from one of the most unexpected (and worst) first meetings. Rishi Patal comes up to introduce himself Dimple Shah, joking about starting their lives together as future husband and wife. Understandably, she not knowing who this wacko is, throws coffee in his face.

    Let’s back up a bit.

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  • Beautiful Creatures Review

    I’ll admit I’m not coming to this blind as I read the sequel series first (I know, I know but Link and Ridley’s prologue for Dangerous Creatures was so much more intriguing to me than this one) and I saw the film adaptation when it first came out which is why I read said sequel series and um. . kinda skimmed these.

    Well now, I’m starting a true read and I must Garcia and Stohl really know how to craft a world.

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  • Ranking Main Street

    1. The Secret Book Club: I think I first read the Main Street series around the same time as The Mother-Daughter Book Club and thus I was very interested in book clubs. It sounded like so much fun to discuss major themes and plots with your friends as you read the same book together. Martin makes it even more intriguing by having it started by a mysterious benefactor. Plus it covers several books that I would go on to read for middle school so I felt ahead of the curve.

    2. Special Delivery: It’s a classic trope, a new baby! But it gets me every time as the Northrop family prepares for the arrival of Aunt Allie’s adopted baby. Additionally, Ruby gets some much-needed charcter develpment when her bratty cockiness costs her a solo in the children’s choir.

    3. Keeping Secrets: I was always excited to read this one when I reread the series in one sitting because it features a new family in the Row House. One with its unqiue secret. While Willow Hamilton is friendly, she’s also shy. Same with her brother. They seem to live on edge of their mother whose quirks and made-up rules overtake every aspect of their lives. Martin builds up the intrigue delicately until it culminates in a late night trip from the police. While Mrs. Hamilton’s mental affliction is never specifically named, she does a sensitive job depicting what it is like for Willow to live with a mental-unbalanced parent and how it affects her life as well as the looming sense of something wrong that the other girls notice when they initially visit the Hamilton to welcome Willow.

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  • Top 5 Beacon Street Girls

    1. Scavenger Hunt: As a double length book, this one gets number one for the three plots it juggles as the class goes on a scavenger hunt using clues of enviromental and auatic nature befitting their Cape Cod location. However, two groups get diverted. Isabel and Maeve’s group accidentally stumble upon a movie set with Maeve’s old friend Orlando Plume and they all get cast as extras. Between seeing the class know-it-alls duke it out as historic consultants and the Lindsey Lohan substiute having diva-worthy freakouts, their movie magic mishaps are the best part of the book. Avery’s group ends up bumming it on the beach, soaking up the rays and having fun rather than work much to Chelsea’s (my fav supporting character!) charign. Charlotte and Katani are the only ones taking the hunt seriously but Katani is having problems with her older sister chaperoning and her ultra-competitive nature serving a good lesson on sportsmanship. Plus it has the added bonus of giving some extra depth to the Empress of Mean, Kiki Underwood. Just a summer read that instantly gives me nostalgia vibes.

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  • Thoughts on Allie Finkle

    So I did my reread and I think it holds up for the most part. It is definately too young for anyone who reads it after lower-school. It’s almost quaint to read how Allie’s biggest problems are eating foods she doesn’t like and the worst insult is “crybaby.” Simpler times. Especially as she and her friends don’t quite understand things like romance and “going with” someone as a boy/girlfriend. Though you might get a little chuckle when Cabot slips in things the adults say that goes over Allie’s head.

    In fact, after reading the Boy quarter and this soon after, I recognize a pattern in Cabot’s writing. The protagonists have a rambling, stream of thought voice that often goes into diatribes and digressions before getting back to the point. It’s interesting how it manages to fit a 9 year old girl and a 20 something single. With the former it fits the easily distractible mind of a kid, and the latter makes the rom-com leads quirky.

    I also come to the idea that maybe just maybe Allie might be autistic.Between how she feels like she’s going to gag whenever eating something red, having a special interest in animals, needing to write down rules because the complexity of girlworld and trying to navigate the messy emotional landscape, trying to put her rules on others once or twice.

    True, you could just chalk all that to being a kid who tends to see things in black and white and is more organized and studious but it did pop into my head.

    So yeah, a cute series that shows Cabot can write for kids, teens, adults and any in between.

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