Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Post-apocalypse with angels.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) by Susan Ee

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I read this way back in 2012, and at the time I was pretty enthusiastic about it. I’ve read a lot more YA since then, and a lot more self-published books, so the shine has worn off a little. Also, I now think I understand why, even though I bought book two on release date, I have never gotten around to reading it, and that is because the world Susan Ee has created is FLIPPING TERRIFYING. A very large part of me doesn’t want to […]

“Why do you always quote poetry at me when all I want is a straight answer?”

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

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The first time Lynn killed a man, she was 9 years old. Her mother taught her the ways of shooting and with good reason: she and Lynn had something highly coveted.  A small pond of water, in a world that was desperate for it.  Now into her teenage years, Lynn is used to the lonely life she and her mother tend to, a life that cycles only around surviving.  Collecting and purifying water is their number one priority. Hunting and growing another. Keeping the men […]

“The colonizer writes the history, winning twice: A theft of land. A theft of witness.”

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

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In this third installment of Bray’s fantastic Diviners series, Libba Bray finally pulls together many moving pieces and lays down the major themes of the series with gusto. If I could sum it up in one phrase, I’d call this book “Ghosts are scary, but not as scary as evangelism” Or “Ghosts are scary, but it’s your fault.” The Diviners are a diverse group of supernaturally talented young people in 1920s NYC (who aren’t officially called “The Diviners” but simply “diviners” at this point).  In […]

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart!

I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall

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I’m really sorry for naming this review after the most cliche song I could have quoted — OR AM I? Sixteen-year-old Jess has been through it this year.  She survived a terrible car crash that killed her mother on impact. She’s left scarred and her leg is irrevocably damaged, despite the diligence she has devoted to her physical therapy. And now, the court has ordered her custody to the father she has barely known, transported there by an old family friend named Gil. Gil does […]

Heavy Vinyl – not so heavy on plot but still fun!

Heavy Vinyl: Riot on the Radio by Carly Usdin, Nina Vakueva, Irene Flores

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Heavy Vinyl appears to have gone through some adjustments over its publication.  Its title was originally Hi-Fi Fight Club and then for some reason they changed the name of the record store it is set in from Vinyl Mayhem to Vinyl Destination. Both changes are better, but many of the web descriptions of the comics have the old names so that’s confusing. Anyhow, spoiler alert: it’s about a fight-club in a record store! Sort of. I haven’t read or seen Fight Club, but this seems […]

A completely unsatisfactory review of a good book.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

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Contemporary isn’t usually my genre, but this was really well put together. A good follow up to The Hate U Give. This is one of those reviews that makes my review backlog pile up, because I’m having a hard time saying stuff about it. So I’m just going to wing it and live with the fact that my review will not be as good as I want it to be, or say what I want it to say (whatever that is? I don’t even know). […]



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